MKB Hand Bourges First Defeat

16 November 2005

MKB Euroleasing Sopron put paid to Bourges Basket's perfect start to the EuroLeague Women campaign with an 86-74 Group B triumph in Hungary.

Bourges, who are French giants and former winners of the European competition, won their opening three games in the tournament but they were nearly run out of the gym in the first half and trailed 52-33 at the interval.

The club had allowed an eye-popping 29 points to be scored by their hosts in the first quarter, 12 of those from Sopron's leading scorer in the game, 21-point Reka Csarny.

Pierre Vincent's team chipped away at the deficit and twice closed to within seven in the fourth quarter at 67-60 and 72-65, however, the Hungarians would not be deterred and held on for their first victory of the season.

Bourges' coach Vincent was disappointed his side had been so slow at the start.

"What can I say?" he said. "I'm sad, because we lost! We woke up to late."

Cserny had eight rebounds to go along with her points haul, while Bourges' Latvian international Anete Jekabsone also scored 21.

Natalia Hejkova, the coach of Sopron, said: "It was an important game, a win of the heart!

"We had some injuries, but we played with full power! In our last two games, our defence and play was better step by step and we continued it today. I'm happy that we were a team today!"


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