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CIMSA CBK Mersin came away with an 85-80 road win over Greece’s Athinaikos Qualco in the first leg of the FIBA Women’s EuroCup final, putting the Turkish side in front ahead of the return game in Mersin on April 9.
Played at Glyfada Makis Lioukas Sports Center in Athens, the opening final turned into a tense contest late on, yet Mersin held on after keeping control for most of the night and fending off a late push from the home side.
The game got underway with both teams trading baskets, but Mersin soon pulled away as Allen knocked down back-to-back shots from long range and the visitors tightened up on defense. With Kennedy Beren Burke leading the early scoring effort, the Turkish team built a clear advantage and wrapped up the first quarter 29-16 in front.
That strong opening gave Mersin room to work with, and although Athinaikos tried to chip away at the gap in the second quarter, the visitors kept their edge and went into halftime leading 48-42.
Athinaikos continued to push in the second half, but Mersin did not let the game slip. Early in the third quarter, the Turkish side kept the hosts from closing in, while Justkaite stepped up with added scoring support as the visitors finished the period ahead 71-62.
The final quarter brought the closest stretch of the night, with Athinaikos cutting the deficit to just two points and threatening to turn the game around. Even so, Mersin came through with timely baskets in the closing moments and then locked things down defensively to stop the Greek side from moving in front.
The two-leg final will now move to Türkiye, where the second game is set to be played on April 9 at Servet Tazegul Sports Hall in Mersin.
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