The USK basketball players managed the third final without any problems, the title is within reach

“It’s a good result before the match in Brno. Most of all, we managed to play hard and concentrate. I was pleased with how we started the first and second half, because that was always our weakness,” said Hejková in an interview with Nova Sport 1. “We wouldn’t want to come back here (for the fifth game). It wasn’t even about self-confidence, but realizing that it’s the final and we can’t gamble,” she added.

The best player for Prague was Australian Ezi Magbegorová, who recorded a double double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Her Spanish teammate María Conde added 19 points. 17 points from the American Elissa Cunane did not help the Frogs.

“We probably didn’t give a performance worthy of the final. We should play what we played at home. We made a lot of individual mistakes. Maybe we didn’t play as a team as at home. We have at least one more match ahead of us and we want to take it again,” said Brno player Petra Záplatová.

Pivot Emese Hofová, who did not play in Brno due to injury, returned to the Prague team. On the other hand, Nyara Sabally was missing. The Frogs managed to capture the beginning of the match and after ten minutes of play they held a tie at 15:15.

The defending champions only bounced back in the second quarter. After Conde’s attack, they gained a double-digit lead 29:19 for the first time, and the guests’ coach Viktor Pruša took a timeout. The lead of Pražanek increased to 15 points (41:26) and Žabiny only managed to slightly correct the score at the end of the half. The best scorer for the home team was Condeová with 14 points, while Záplatová scored three less in the Brno jersey.

“We put the match in Brno behind us. Became. We took this as a completely new game. We wanted to give it back to them, we were excited and ready to show what we really have,” said USK player Veronika Šípová.

The local basketball players continued their concentrated performance even after the break and their lead grew. The Žabin defense was no longer strong enough and the USK players often gained easy positions. They dominated the third quarter 24:11 and led by 25 points before the final part. Magbegor already had a double double.

The girls from Brňa reduced the deficit to 14 points in the final ten minutes, but the reigning champions did not allow drama. In the end, they bounced back again, winning by 22 points and defeating the Frogs by the biggest margin of the season.

“In the first quarter, we caught the momentum well and executed the plan. Unfortunately, the second quarter and the beginning of the third did not work out offensively. We got out of our role and couldn’t help ourselves with defense like at home,” said coach Pruša. “It’s something else to pull back the opponent’s lead on Rosnička and Královka. It didn’t work out, but we’re still alive, and until USK wins the last match, they don’t have the title,” he added.