Bourges warmed up for their FIBA EuroLeague Women play-off clash with Tarbes by beating their arch-rivals 73-68 in the French women's league at the weekend.

The European showdown tips off on Tuesday but that was the last thing on the minds of coach Pierre Vincent of Bourges and his opposite number Pascal Pisan at the Tarbes Gespe Bigorre stadium.

After a miserable start to the EuroLeague Women campaign, Italian side Lavezzini Parma finished the regular season in style, defeating French visitors Tarbes, 86-78.

Parma lost 6 of their first 7 games in the competition and in December looked like an unlikely bet to make the play-offs. But the 2004 Italian finalists rallied in 2005, winning 4 of their 5 games, including Thursday night's victory which guarantees them a place in the eighth-final play-offs.

Laure Savasta is at the peak of her powers. 

Captain of Tarbes Gespe Bigorre, one of the continent's leading teams, Savasta has experience of the WNBA, has played at the Olympics and was a champion of Europe in 2001.