Rivas Brush Aside Brno

New Rivas signing Tijana Krivacevic was one rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds

Rivas Ecopolis strengthened their grip on fourth place in EuroLeague Women Group C with an 81-52 victory at Frisco Sika Brno.

The Spanish club stormed into a 25-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and never turned back as they improved to 7-5.

Good Angels Kosice have the same record but are in third place after winning both of their games against Rivas.

Essence Carson led the way with 25 points for Rivas, who out-rebounded the hosts 61-33.

Miguel Martinez Mendez team took the lead for good early.

Laura Nicholls, who had a game-high 11 rebounds to go with her six points for Rivas, scored to snap a 2-2 tie and Asjha Jones followed with a bucket.

Carson then hit back-to-back jumpers as Rivas claimed a 12-2 lead.

Brno played catch-up the rest of the way.

Rivas were 36 of 79 from the floor overall.

Former Sopron star Tijana Krivacevic had 12 points and nine boards for the winners, while Elisa Aguilar finished in double figures in points with 11.

Rivas finished with 24 second-chance points to just two for Brno, who have just one victory all season.

Next up for Rivas are games against Wisla Can-Pack Krakow, the Group C leaders, and CB Taranto.

Quotes Frisco Brno vs. Rivas Ecopolis

Rivas Ecópolis Head Coach Manuel Martinez Mendez
"Brno has a very young team. In the first period we played very well on defence and fast on offence. We didn´t have problems, we were better in rebounds and I was satisfied with our shooting. In the second period we played with the same intensity. But Brno improved their performance on defence and played more aggressive. This result was very important for my team because we want to step to the play-offs of the best sixteen."

Frisco Brno Head Coach Jan Bobrovsky
"We prepared very conscientiously for this game. In the first game in Madrid our start was crazy, without defence. But today we played awfully in the first period too. Our players were timorous, we didn´t fight on defence and on offence. It's impossible to play basketball this way. We didn't have a classic center, but we must fight for position under the basket. We had only three fouls in first period. If we had fought, we would have more fouls. In the second period Madrid did not play so concentrated. We fought better."

Rivas Ecópolis guard Anna Cruz
"The beginning of the game wasn´t easy for us. Maybe it looks easy on the scoresheet, 52:22 after the first half. But we ran very fast into attack and played good. More important for us were performances of our center players Ashja Jones, Sandra Pirsic and Laura Nicholls. We were better in rebounds. In the second half Brno played better in defence. But they couldn´t turn over the result."

Frisco Brno player Romana Hejdova
"We knew from the first game that Rivas played very fast offensive basketball. We couldn´t return to defence. It was our weakness. Our rivals were better in rebounding. In the second period our performance was better and more aggressive. We kept the difference at 30 points. But with the score in the first period we couldn´t win the game. Today was decided in the first period."

Quotes Frisco Brno vs. Rivas Ecopolis

Rivas Ecópolis Head Coach Manuel Martinez Mendez
"Brno has a very young team. In the first period we played very well on defence and fast on offence. We didn´t have problems, we were better in rebounds and I was satisfied with our shooting. In the second period we played with the same intensity. But Brno improved their performance on defence and played more aggressive. This result was very important for my team because we want to step to the play-offs of the best sixteen."

Frisco Brno Head Coach Jan Bobrovsky
"We prepared very conscientiously for this game. In the first game in Madrid our start was crazy, without defence. But today we played awfully in the first period too. Our players were timorous, we didn´t fight on defence and on offence. It's impossible to play basketball this way. We didn't have a classic center, but we must fight for position under the basket. We had only three fouls in first period. If we had fought, we would have more fouls. In the second period Madrid did not play so concentrated. We fought better."

Rivas Ecópolis guard Anna Cruz
"The beginning of the game wasn´t easy for us. Maybe it looks easy on the scoresheet, 52:22 after the first half. But we ran very fast into attack and played good. More important for us were performances of our center players Ashja Jones, Sandra Pirsic and Laura Nicholls. We were better in rebounds. In the second half Brno played better in defence. But they couldn´t turn over the result."

Frisco Brno player Romana Hejdova
"We knew from the first game that Rivas played very fast offensive basketball. We couldn´t return to defence. It was our weakness. Our rivals were better in rebounding. In the second period our performance was better and more aggressive. We kept the difference at 30 points. But with the score in the first period we couldn´t win the game. Today was decided in the first period."