That was when the players responsible for steering the red-shirted team appeared to prevent the ship from sinking: Ornella Bankolé and Merritt Hempe. The French forward, with 26 points and a 27 rating, and the Macedonian center, with 29 points, 11 rebounds and a 33 rating, played a crucial role in preventing the Greek team from completing its comeback and allowing Casademont to take a vital victory home from Greece.
As a result, the red-shirted club, which remains unbeaten in the continental competition, moves to 2-0 and rises to the top of its group, level with a surprising Kibirkstis Vilnius, who pulled off an upset by winning at Basket Landes (65-72) and will be Casademont’s next opponent in the European tournament.
THE GAME
On its first visit to Greece, in an arena offering a bleak sight with so few spectators that they could almost be counted on one hand, Casademont were looking to add another key win in a European competition where every game is worth its weight in gold. To that end, Carlos Cantero opted for a strong starting five comprising Mariona Ortiz, Ornella Bankolé, Veronika Vorackova, Nadia Fingall and Merritt Hempe.
With those players on court, the red-shirted club carried the cruise-control mode it had shown in the league into European competition. Cantero’s team, with seven points from a stellar Hempe, took advantage of Athinaikos’ inactivity and alarming lack of defensive intensity to open the game with a blistering 0-13 run that forced the Greek coach to call a timeout. After the stoppage, the game became more even as the hosts finally got on the scoreboard and timidly began to compete in a strange first quarter in which Casademont had gone from strength to weakness (12-25).
Hempe was once again the red-shirted team’s main weapon. Photo: FIBA
On returning to the court, Casademont at times continued to be dragged down by the poor level of the Greek side in a game dominated by missed shots, errors and turnovers, with seven for each team. In that setting, the score remained stuck at a gap that neither the Aragonese side could extend, despite their success from three-point range, nor the Greeks, led by Vanloo, could reduce. Even so, a final 12-5 run gave Athinaikos belief that it could compete in a game featuring a huge disparity in rebounds: 31 for Casademont compared with just 15 for the Greeks (35-46).
SECOND HALF
After halftime, Athinaikos, which had radically changed its performance on the court, began the third quarter with three-pointers and 2+1 plays that brought the Greek side, led by a Macaulay who scored 13 points in five minutes of the quarter, to within just four points. Even so, amid fears that the hosts would complete the comeback, the Aragonese side responded through Hempe’s scoring, Bankole’s power and Mariona’s playmaking, putting together a 3-10 run to pull clear again (58-66).
In the decisive quarter, and amid Carlos Cantero’s desperation, Athinaikos opened the period by moving within two points in yet another Greek comeback attempt. Only Bankolé managed to halt it, scoring eight points in the opening stages of the final 10 minutes to carry the red-shirted team. A new three-pointer from the French player, followed by six points from Hempe, finally ended any Greek hopes and allowed Casademont to close out an important victory in Greece with some margin and without suffering in the final minutes (78-89).
GAME DETAILS
Athinaikos Qualco (78): Julie Vanloo (11), Ivana Raca (4), Alexis Prince (9), Robyn Parks (-) and Mariella Fasoula (10) — starting five. Kamile Van Der Horst (-), Borislava Hristova (11), Pinelopi Pavlopoulou (3), Ana Tadic (6) and Victoria Macaulay (24).
Casademont Zaragoza (89): Mariona Ortiz (3), Ornella Bankolé (26), Veronika Vorackova (9), Nadia Fingall (8) and Merritt Hempe (29) — starting five. Helena Oma (-), Aisha Sheppard (4), Laia Flores (-), Yarden Garzon (-), Kristine Vitola (3), Nerea Hermosa (7) and Carla Brito (-).
Quarters: 12-25 / 23-21 / 23-20 / 20-23.
Officials: Viola Gyorgyi, Laure Coanus and Irene Frosolini.
Notes: Match corresponding to the second round of the first phase of the Women’s EuroLeague, played at Glyfada Hall in Athens, Greece.
