EUROLEAGUE WOMEN

Catherine Joens top-scored for Bourges Basket with 17 points

Bourges Basket claimed a convincing home triumph over VICI Aistes on Wednesday night.

The French giants rolled to a 78-49 victory to finish Round 1 with seven wins and seven defeats.

Valérie Garnier's team will enter the post-season as the fifth-place team from Group A.

The blows Bourges landed that VICI Aistes didn't recover from came at the end of the opening quarter.

On top 22-19 with 1:26 go in the frame, Catherine Joens and then Kiesha Brown hit three-pointers for a nine-point advantage.

Neither side put points on the board again until Ieva Kublina sank two free-throws almost 2:30 into the second quarter for an 11-point lead.

Garnier's team held VICI Aistes to just five points in the quarter and took a 39-24 advantage to half-time.

Bourges then poured in the first eight points of the third quarter to take a vice-like grip on the game.

The result was beyond doubt as they led 47-24 with 7:42 to play in the frame.

Joens had 17 points to lead Bourges, who made 29 of their 61 shots from the floor compared to an 18-of-49 night for VICI Aistes.

The Lithuanian club ended their EuroLeague Women campaign with just two victories.