EUROLEAGUE WOMEN

All but one Kosice players wrote their name on the scoresheet, led by Natalia Vieru who finished with 20 points on 75% shooting from the floor

Good Angels Kosice romped to victory over Gospic Croatia in Slovakia on Wednesday to strengthen their bid for play-off basketball in the EuroLeague Women.

Fresh off a six-point road triumph at Rivas Ecopolis, Stefan Svitek's team returned home and rolled to a 106-66 victory to improve to 6-4 in Group C.

The Croatian club had their two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-6.

An important stretch came late in the first quarter when Kosice, on top 17-13, reeled off six straight points.

They eventually opened up a 29-15 lead in the final minute of the opening frame when Lucia Kupcikova connected with a jumper.

Jelena Ivezic's three-pointer reduced the arrears to 11 at the end of the period.

The visitors then pulled to within eight when Ivana Jurcevic made a trey at the beginning of the second quarter.

The floodgates then opened.

Kosice's Kayla Pedersen drew a foul and made two free-throws before following with two more baskets to make it 35-21.

Julie McBride scored for Gospic, but Pedersen replied and Natalie Vieru added a free-throw to stretch the lead to 17.

When Helena Sverrisdóttir nailed a three-pointer for her first basket of the game midway through the frame, Kosice had a 43-25 stranglehold.

The rout was well and truly on with Sverrisdóttir, a member of Iceland's national team, hit another jumper for a 59-32 advance in the last minute of the first half.

Good Angels ended up taking a 61-34 lead to the changing rooms and piled on the agony for Gospic in the second half as they surpassed the century mark in points.

Vieru's 20 points were a team high and Danielle McCray poured in 19.

Kupcikova and Pedersen scored 18 apiece.

Kosice out-rebounded Gospic 50-27, and they also buried 32 of 34 attempts at the free-throw line.

The Slovakians had 15 steals and eight blocks, too, with seven of those swats by Kupcikova.