Chevakata Hammer Nantes To Advance

Jessica Davenport came up with a game-high 29 points to secure Chevakata a place in the semi-finals

Chevakata hit back from a 13-point first-leg deficit and beat Nantes Rezé on Thursday to advance to the EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals.

After falling in France 83-70, the Russian team regrouped and rode the back of Jessica Davenport, who had 29 points and 10 rebounds, to a 92-72 second-leg win.

The 25-year-old Davenport wasn't the only player that excelled for Chevakata.

Elena Danilochkina also weighed in with 18 points and there were timely contributions from others.

In a game that was full of drama, Chevakata went to half-time with a 20-point advantage on the night and a seven-point lead on aggregate.

They went further ahead after the restart, going on top 67-43.

But Laurent Buffard's Nantes stormed back and closed the gap to just 13 points in the game with 1:19 to go in the third quarter on a jump shot by Emilija Podrug.

That basket gave Podrug 17 points in the game.

A Mélanie Plust three-ball reduced the arrears to 69-59 as the French reclaimed control of the tie.

Buffard's side pulled to within 70-61 after a jumper from Yuliya Andreyeva.

A Loree Moore three-pointer with just one second to go in the frame took the lead back to 12 for Chevakata, leaving them behind by just one on aggregate, and then Davenport took her points haul to 24 with a three-point play before Maria Cherepanova hit a jumper to make it 78-61 with 7:27 left in the contest.

Another Davenport three-point play made it a 20-point second-leg lead and Danilochkina followed with a shot from the arc to stretch the overall advantage in the tie to 10.

Podrug went to 21 points with a lay-up to cut the deficit to 84-67, but that was as close as the French team would get.

Quotes Chevakata vs. Nantes Rezé

Nantes Reze Head Coach Laurent Buffard:
"We lost this game in the first half, making too many mistakes. As our center Sonja Kireta was not here, we had only two players on this position. Chevakata is the best team we played against in this competition. It was a tough European match on a very good level. It was physically hard for us to play. Besides, when we could shorten the difference, Mame Sy-Diop committed her fifth foul and Emilija Podrug has a problem with her ankle. Chevakata was better today."

BC Chevakata Head Coach Olga Shuneykina:
"Of course, we remembered the result of the first game. The players wanted to have their revenge. And the first half of the match showed our great spirit. Though the opponent could equalize the game, we were stronger and we won."

BC Chevakata player Anna Petrakova:
"From the very beginning we prepared for an aggressive fight, but we were sure that we would win. The only thing was to cope with our emotions and prove that we are stronger. Besides, when the fans supported us so much, we could not lose."