Perovanovic Propels Nadezhda To Victory

Iva Perovanovic claimed herfirst double-double of the EuroLeague Women season

A terrific double-double by Montenegrin forward Iva Perovanovic helped hosts Nadezhda sneak a nerve wracking 71-68 victory against valiant Municipal Targoviste in EuroLeague Women Group B.

The fans in Orenburg were left on the edge of their seats as the pesky visitors from Romania refused to lie down, having trailed by as many as 18 points and it contributed to a riveting game.

The comeback meant the result still hung firmly in the balance right up until the final buzzer, when at 71-68, Claudia Pop had the opportunity to try and force overtime for the visitors.

Tipped to struggle after the departure of George Dikeoulakos and several key players, Targoviste performed superbly well for their new head coach Florin Nini.

They showed plenty of spirit having found themselves 57-39 behind during the third quarter, when they subsequently dug deep and rallied in a big way with a super run which witnessed them grabbing 17 of the next 18 points.

Gabriela Marginean finished with 22 points for Targoviste and she was the main architect of the fight-back which brought them to within two points early in the fourth period at 58-56.

However in Perovanovic, Nadezhda had the game-winner on their roster. She racked up an excellent 15 points and 14 rebounds, a haul which was well supported by a nice cameo from Elena Danilochkina who also added 15 points.

It was a tight squeeze for the home side but they clung on down the stretch to confirm their place in the play-offs.

Quotes Nadezhda Orenburg vs. Municipal Targoviste

Targoviste head coach Florin Nini:
"We lost six of our players, and for this reason we had to change our tactical plan ad strategy completely. Besides, we found out that the main problem was in the mutual understanding of the new players on the court. But we don't give up and keep on working and fighting."

Targoviste player Gabriela Marginean:
"It was a really tough game after a hard and long trip. We fought until the end, played as one team. Unfortunately, every game has its mistakes, and in this match our little mistakes cost a big price to our team. We have big changes in the team, but we trust each other and keep on fighting."

Nadezhda head coach Alexander Kovalev:
"I congratulate all of us on this win! Our failing game in the third quarter can be explained by the fact that some players believed in winning too fast and so let the opponent bring the score down. We made unnecessary blunders, lost the track of the game. I am happy the team could get the win."

Nadezhda player Iva Perovanovic:
"I`d like to congratulate our team on this win! We were playing with all our hearts and won, though the game was really tough. Now the most important thing for us is the match against Sopron, we have a week to get ready for that, so I hope we will be able to prepare well for the game and win this important game."

Quotes Nadezhda Orenburg vs. Municipal Targoviste

Targoviste head coach Florin Nini:
"We lost six of our players, and for this reason we had to change our tactical plan ad strategy completely. Besides, we found out that the main problem was in the mutual understanding of the new players on the court. But we don't give up and keep on working and fighting."

Targoviste player Gabriela Marginean:
"It was a really tough game after a hard and long trip. We fought until the end, played as one team. Unfortunately, every game has its mistakes, and in this match our little mistakes cost a big price to our team. We have big changes in the team, but we trust each other and keep on fighting."

Nadezhda head coach Alexander Kovalev:
"I congratulate all of us on this win! Our failing game in the third quarter can be explained by the fact that some players believed in winning too fast and so let the opponent bring the score down. We made unnecessary blunders, lost the track of the game. I am happy the team could get the win."

Nadezhda player Iva Perovanovic:
"I`d like to congratulate our team on this win! We were playing with all our hearts and won, though the game was really tough. Now the most important thing for us is the match against Sopron, we have a week to get ready for that, so I hope we will be able to prepare well for the game and win this important game."