UMMC Overcome Ros In Battle For Third

France international Sandrine Gruda did all she could to ensure hosts UMMC would not finish last in the Final Four, with a game-high 14 points and nine rebounds

UMMC Ekaterinburg beat Ros Casares 64-52 on Sunday to clinch third place in the EuroLeague Women.

Gundars Vetra's side trailed late in the third quarter when Deanna Nolan sparked a 10-0 run with a three-pointer.

That gave the Final Four hosts a 42-41 lead and the Russian team, which lost to Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje in the Semi-Finals on Friday, got a Nolan at the beginning of the fourth quarter to continue the decisive spurt.

Maria Stepanova followed with two free throws before Olga Arteshina drilled a shot from the arc to cap the scoring run that left UMMC on top for good.

Ros Casares closed the gap to 53-48 on a three-ball from Edwige Lawson Wade with 4:19 to go but Sandrine Gruda, who had a game-high 14 points and nine rebounds, replied with a basket for UMMC and the visitors from Spain got no closer.

Gruda's fellow France international Celine Dumerc added six points and five steals for UMMC.

Katie Douglas had 10 points, six rebounds, five steals and also five turnovers for Ros Casares, who had fallen to Halcon Avenida in their game on Friday.

Quotes UMMC Ekaterinburg vs. Ros Casares

UMMC Guard Cappie Pondexter:
"The game for the 3rd place was very complicated for both teams, but we worked hard."

UMMC Head Coach Gundars Vetra:
"I hope you understand it was not the game we were eager to play. I hope you understand how hard it was for a coach to say the same words for the third time: 'We failed to win the first game, now we must concentrate, and do our best in this one.' For the first time it was a misfortune, for the second - a failure, but now it was a great failure. It was a hard task to motivate the team. The players were nervous in the beginning; we couldn't demonstrate our usual play. But when tiredness de-stressed the girls, they started to play aggressively and more confident. I want to congratulate our team on their win, though it was not the win we waited for."

Ros Casares Center Rebekkah Brunson:
"We've made a great effort, fighting with UMMC. It is a very strong team, and they have a lot of great players. It was hard to play against this opponent, but we have made an effort to win."

Ros Casares Head Coach Natalia Hejkova:
"We tried to fight, but we have no such players, like UMMC - leaders of WNBA teams. Our bench is shorter. We tried to make a surprise for the opponents, used zone defense and one-to-one, but it didn't help us. At least, we've tried. And I must thank our players for the work they have done."