Horizont Minsk trailed for most of the first half but turned the tables after the break to beat Nika Syktyvkar 70-60 and lift the 2021 EWBL trophy on Sunday, April 4, at Maladziechna sports center.
Players of the game
Anastasiya Verameyenka led the home team again. A long time EuroLeague Women superstar scored 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-2 from the three point line.
Belarus center added six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots for a game high efficiency rating of 29.
Verameyenka averaged 20,0 points and 6,5 points throughout the Final Four to earn the MVP trophy.
Yuliya Rytsikava connected 5-of-9 three point shots. She had 19 points and was recognized as the player of the game for Horizont.
Yanina Inkina also scored in double figures. University of Arkansas at Little Rock standout finished the game with 10 points.
Irena Vrancic had eight points, five rebounds and four assists.
Louisiana State graduate Adrienne Webb added seven points, five rebounds and four assists.
Kiara Leslie was the most prolific scorer of the game. Nika forward scored 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field.
The 2019 WNBA champion grabbed nine rebounds and blocked one shot for a team high efficiency rating of 24.
Brianna Turner also was close to the double-double. The 2018 NCAA champion had nine points and nine rebounds.
Maria Cherepanova posted five points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Alexandra Marchenkova had eight points and eight rebounds.
Ekaterina Riabova chipped in with nine points.
Key stats
Nika coach Alexandre Vasin relied on seven player rotation – four starters averaged 34 or more minutes.
The Russian team won the battle of rebounds (35-43, offensive rebounds 6-19) and scored more second chance points (7-19) but struggled from the field.
Nika players made just 34 percent of their field goal attempts (25/73) compared to 45 percent for Horizont (25/57).
Horizont outscored the opponents from the three point line, connecting 10-of-17 attempts or 58 percent.
Nika players made 5-of-24 three point shots.
Kiara Leslie cut the gap to five points 56-51 with 07:17 left. Verameyenka replied with a three point shot just second later 59-51.
Rytsikava made another two three pointers for a double digit lead 65-55 with 03:10 left.
Horizont was coached by Nataliya Trafimava and Zlatan Presič.
All Star team 2021
Alexandra Marchenkova, Nika Syktyvkar
Brianna Turner, Nika Syktyvkar
Viktoryia Hasper, Horizont Minsk
MVP
Anastasiya Verameyenka, Horizont Minsk
Schedule
Saturday, April 3, semifinals
Prometey Kamianske – Horizont Minsk 73-84
Boxscore http://ewbl.eu/game/5421359/
TTT Rīga – Nika Syktyvkar 64-72
Boxscore http://ewbl.eu/game/5421361/
Sunday, April 4, medal games
Prometey – TTT Riga (bronze medal game)
CANCELLED
Nika Syktyvkar 60–70 Horizont (final)
Boxscore http://ewbl.eu/game/5421365/
Final Four history
Rīga 2016: TTT Rīga, Basket 90 Gdynia, Astana Tigers, Tsmoki Minsk
Košice 2017: Good Angels Košice, TTT Rīga, Dynamo Moscow, Basket 90 Gdynia
Rīga 2018: Good Angels Košice, TTT Rīga, Dynamo Moscow, Udominate Basket
Rostov on Don 2019: TTT Rīga, Tsmoki Minsk, Rostov Don SFEDU, Žabiny Brno
Brno 2020: season five cancelled due to pandemic (Žabiny Brno-Tsmoki, Novosibirsk-Pieštany)
Maladziechna 2021: Horizont Minsk, Nika Syktyvkar, TTT Rīga, Prometey Kamianske
Our geography
EWBL member countries so far: Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey.
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YouTube https://www.youtube.com/EWBLLive
Live TV http://ewbl.eu/live-tv/
#StrongTogether #EWBL #Season6
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