International Roundup: Week 14
Natasha Howard’s performance in January, in which she averaged 25.0 ppg. and 14.7 rpg. and posted an efficiency rating of 29.7 in helping secure a quarterfinals berth for Dynamo Kursk, led Howard to being named EuroLeague MVP of the Month. Howard is the second U.S. player to earn monthly MVP honors this season after Brionna Jones nabbed the honor in December.

European leagues are breaking for the international competition window and the EuroLeague and EuroCup quarterfinals should be set. However, schedule disruptions due to the pandemic leave holes in the overall standings and playoff brackets that will be resolved upon return from the international break.

EuroCup Schedule Still Being Tweaked
Due to postponements, three games in the round of 16 are still yet to be played, while two of the round of eight games have been contested. The EuroCup schedulers have their hands full and are working on bringing everything back up to speed once the previously postponed games can be played.

Due to the nature of the EuroCup playoffs, eight teams advance to play for a spot in the quarterfinals. The four winning teams from the round of eight will be joined by four teams from the EuroLeague (Group A Nos. 4-5 and Group B Nos. 4-5 teams). At that point, FIBA EuroCup will conduct a draw to determine quarterfinals pairings. Still played in a home-and-away format with the aggregate score being used in case of a split, the bracket from quarterfinal round through to the finals will be played as normal – with the winning team advancing to the next round and no additional draws taking place.

Flammes and Mersin will square off in back-to-back games Feb. 16-17. LDLC ASVEL Feminin, which won the first of the two-game round of eight series 76-73 against Nika Syktyvkar, was slated to host the second game in Lyon on Feb. 2 but it has again been rescheduled.

BC Polkowice 66, Valencia BC 63 (round of eight)
Stephanie Mavunga’s 19 points and 10 rebounds helped BC Polkowice upset Valencia BC 66-63 in Spain. However, due to Valencia’s 85-77 win in the first game, the SuperCup champions advance to the quarterfinals with a five-point margin over the two-game series.

2021-22 EuroLeague Regular Season Standings, Week 14 and Make-Up Games
As of a week ago, three teams from Group A had advanced into the quarterfinals: UMMC Ekaterinburg, ZVVZ USK Prague and Perfumerias Avenida. Three teams from Group B joined them this past week as Fenerbahce, Sopron Basket and Spar Girona also advanced to the quarterfinals.

Four teams are completely eliminated from the EuroLeague playoff hunt. However, the No. 5 and No. 6 teams in each group will receive a consolation of advancement into the EuroCup quarterfinals.

*Clinched EuroLeague quarterfinals berth.
#Eliminiate from EuroLeague playoff contention.

UMMC Ekaterinburg 93, Perfumerias Avenida 67
Cementing its spot as the No. 1 team to beat in the EuroLeague this season, UMMC Ekaterinburg (13-0) soundly defeated Perfumerias Avenida (10-3) 93-67 on its home court in Spain. Ekat had five players in double-digit scoring, led by Jonquel Jones, who totaled a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Allie Quigley scored 10 points and Courtney Vandersloot had 14.

ZVVZ USK Prague 84, Umana Reyer 75
Led by 21 points and and seven boards from Brionna Jones and 17 points and 10 rebounds from Alyssa Thomas, ZVVZ USK Prague (9-4), which last week clinched its playoff spot, downed Umana Reyer (3-9) 84-75. Reyer, which received 18 points from Kayla Thornton in the loss, still has a shot to finish No. 5 or No. 6 in the group, which would move the team to the EuroCup playoffs.

Fenerbahce 63, Dynamo Kursk 57
With its 10-3 record after a 63-57 win over Dynamo Kursk (8-6), Fenerbahce earned the top spot in Group B. Helping Fener to the win was a 21-point, 15-rebound performance from Elizabeth Williams, while Kayla McBride chipped in 10 points, three rebounds and four assists. Kursk, which also is qualified for the next round, finished the game with one player who scored in double digits after Natasha Howard posted 13 points and 15 boards. Arike Ogunbowale added six points, three rebounds and four assists.

Spar Girona 78, VBW Arka Gdynia 65
Paced by 19 points and seven rebounds from Kennedy Burke and 16 points and eight caroms from Rebekah Gardner, Spar Girona (7-6) remained in the hunt after a 78-65 win over eliminated VBW Arka Gdynia (2-12). Megan Gustafson capped her EuroLeague season with a 25-point effort for the Polish club and also contributed six rebounds and a pair of assists.

Beretta Famila Schio 80, Galatasaray 67
Beretta Famila Schio upped its record to 8-5 to remain in playoff contention and dashed Galatasaray’s (5-9) playoff hopes in the process. Sandrine Gruda led Schio with 16 points and seven boards, while Diamond DeShields chipped in six points, five rebounds and six assists. In Kelsey Plum’s final game with Gala before joining the USA National Team in Washington, D.C., she posted a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds, while Kaela Davis added 14 points.

Basket Landes 61, Sopron Basket 52
Eliminated from the playoffs, Basket Landes (6-7) managed a 61-52 win over Sopron Basket (8-6), which is still in contention for a playoff run. Three players, Kendra Chery, Jillian Harmon and Regan Magarity tied as Landes’ top scorers with 10 points apiece. Sopron, which suited up just eight athletes, saw Jelena Brooks and Bernadett Hatar notch 16 points each in the losing effort. Additionally, Briann January chipped in six points and passed out six assists for Sopron.

Rescheduled EuroLeague Games
Four make-up games were played Jan. 29-30, and UMMC Ekaterinburg downed KSC Szekszard 89-52, Dynamo Kursk defeated Spar Girona 71-66, Sopron Basket fell to visiting Fenerbahce 82-59, and Basket Landes dropped Galatasaray 71-62.

UMMC Ekaterinburg 89, KSC Szekszard 52
Brittney Griner had 15 points in 19 minutes to help propel Ekat past winless KSC Szekszard 89-52 in Russia as Allie Quigley paced the home side with 21 points and Emma Meeseman had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Dynamo Kursk 71, Spar Girona 66
Howard dropped 33 points and 19 boards and Arike Ogunbowale scored 16 points to lead Dynamo Kursk to a 71-66 win over Spar Girona in Spain. Girona’s Kennedy Burke scored a team-best 17 points in her team’s losing effort.

Fenerbahce 82, Sopron Basket 59
Outscoring the host team 30-11 in the first quarter, Fenerbahce went on to collect an 82-59 victory over Sopron Basket in Hungary. Kayla McBride turned in a 22-point, six-rebound performance and Elizabeth Williams added 12 points for the Turkish side, while Briann January’s 14 points topped Sopron’s scorers.

Basket Landes 71, Galatasaray 62
Kelsey Plum’s 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals were not enough to lift Galatasaray over Basket Landes on the road in France as Gala fell 71-62.

Four Americans Among Top 10 WNBL Scorers
Marina Mabrey’s 22.1 ppg. average through seven WNBL games sits atop the leader board for scoring average. She’s joined in the league’s top 10 for that category by No. 4. Monique Billings (17.5 ppg.), No. 5 Tiffany Mitchell (16.2 ppg.) and No. 9 Brittany Sykes (15.8 ppg.).

In games this week, Sykes paced the UC Capitals to a pair of victories, posting 17 points, six rebounds and five steals in an 86-54 win over the Sydney Uni Flames and followed that up with 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals in an 80-67 victory against Adelaide Lightning. Kelsey Griffin contributed 14 points and five boards against the Flames and four points and 10 rebounds against the Lightning.

Billings went off for 27 points and added seven caroms and three steals as the Townsville Fire fell to the Adelaide Lightning and her 14 points also weren’t enough in a 66-59 loss to the Boomers. Mitchell, who plays for the Boomers, contributed 11 points and four assists in the Boomers win.

Jackie Young’s 24 points were key in a Perth Lynx 90-82 win over Bendigo Spirit.