Polkowice Deny Tarbes First Win In OT

Polkowice center Iva Perovanovic was simply unstoppable inside - she finished with 32 points and eight rebounds

CCC Polkowice made all 14 of their free-throws in overtime and escaped with a 99-96 EuroLeague Women victory at Tarbes on Wednesday night.

Looking for their first win of the season in the competition, Tarbes were close but ultimately suffered more heartbreak.

Polkowice have clinched a spot in Round 2 of the EuroLeague Women and now have a chance to finish fourth in Group B going into their last game.

They are battling Beretta Famila Schio for that spot.

Iva Perovanovic brought back memories of her brilliant EuroBasket Women with Montenegro and led CCC Polkowice with a season-high 32 points.

She averaged 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at the EuroBasket last summer.

The game was nip-and-tuck from the start, but Polkowice appeared to take command midway through the last quarter.

Megan Frazee earned a trip to the line and sank two free-throws before Perovanovic followed with two more.

Perovanovic took her points haul to 26 when she was fouled and made two more at the charity stripe for a 78-71 Polkowice advantage.

Ana Cata-Chitiga was in good form for Tarbes, though, and she drove to the basket and scored to reduce the deficit.

Florence Lepron then pulled Tarbes to within 78-75 with a fast-break bucket.

Sharnee Zoll scored on a lay-up for Polkowice, only for Paoline Salagnac to answer with a drive to leave Tarbes behind by just three points.

Polkowice called a timeout.

Tarbes fouled Zoll when play resumed and she made just one of two, and Lepron raced in for a lay-up to cut the Polkowice advantage to 81-79.

Tarbes called a timeout and then Zoll turned the ball over with a bad pass.

Maja Miljkovic then knotted the game at 81-81 and was fouled by Perovanovic on the play.

The Serbian missed the free-throw, and the game went to overtime.

Once in the extra period, Polkowice got their noses in front and cashed in on all of their attempts at the line to claim a thrilling win.

Valeriya Musina was particularly effective with six points in the extra period, including a perfect four-of-four at the line.

Cata-Chitiga had 23 points and Lepron 22 for Tarbes.

Quotes Tarbes GB vs. CCC Polkowice

CCC Polkowice Head Coach Arkadiusz Rusin
"I am satisfied with the victory but less satisfied with the style of the match. We began well but at the end of match we lost too many balls and the result would have been able to change at any time."

Tarbes Head Coach Pascal Pisan
"We were within one point of finishing correctly the EuroLeague Women, we had in our hands the free throw to win it. It's a pity that we lost it. I am satisfied, because the girls fought and the result could have gone the other way arounf. We can go out with our heads up from this match."

CCC Polkowice player Sharnee Zoll
"That was a very difficult match and we were obliged to play very hard during 45 minutes. Now we have a match at home which we have to win for our fans."

Tarbes player Florence Lepron
"We are disappointed of course, we stayed in the game till the end which had not happened for us often in the EuroLeague. It was with aggressiveness, with passion that we managed to raise problems to this team which won matches in the EuroLeague."