The women’s basketball team of the University of Zagreb notched a 71:68 win against the very good team from the University of Bologna. The fans at Dražen Petrović Sports Hall witnessed a tense match; the lead changed hands many times, but the home team managed to prevail in the end.
Zagreb player Ružica Džankić did not expect such a difficult game.
‘We had to fight very hard to win, much harder than we had expected to. We entered the game slowly, we allowed them to dictate the tempo, and we struggled the entire game. We had some luck as well. Bologna is very fierce, they didn’t give up untill the very end.’
One of the best basketball players to ever play for the Croatian national team Anđa Jelavić, the coach of Zagreb, is proud of her team.
‘We knew it would be a tough game, our opponents didn’t give in, and they fought to the very end. We entered the match a bit too relaxed, perhaps due to our previous results. The girls were influenced by the great atmosphere and that’s one of the reasons we entered the game somewhat sloppy. However, they showed character and their performance was exceptional. I’m grateful to the fans as well, their support was great. I hope there will be even more people at the final’ said Zagreb coach Anđa Jelavić.
She also commented on the Bologna team.
‘The girls showed that they’re very skilled, taking a lot of three-pointers, they went for the win and left a great impression,’ said Anđa.
Bologna player Valentina Primossi made a brief comment, stating that her team could have won the game had there been a bit more luck.
‘This was a fight to the end, we could have celebrated as well, but this is basketball, anything is possible. The result can change and turn the other way in a matter of seconds. Zagreb had the home field advantage as well.
The University of Zagreb will play the winner of the other semi final between the University of Belgrade and the University of Alba Iulia. While the Croatian women celebrated on the pitch, the two other semifinalists started to warm up for their match. The match began as scheduled at 15:30.
Belgrade was considered a strong favorite before the match, but the University of Alba Iua showed their teeth and made it clear that they would not be an easy catch. They managed to read their opponents in terms of tactics, preventing them from developing an efficient offense. They even held a 7-point lead at half time. However, Belgrade recovered, and the two teams mached each other point-for-point for the rest of the game. In the end, the Romanians proved more patient and smater, winning 64:61.
Elisabeth Pavel with 22 points and 18 rebounds was the MVP of the match, while the Belgrade captain Jovana Vukoje ended the match with 21 points. The Romanian Sonia Ursu was viisibly excited after the win:
‘We played against a very good team, and frankly, we did not expect to win. We were well prepared tactically and wanted to give our best to surprise them. Tomorrow we’ll be playing against the team who defeated us in the group phase, but the final is our chance for a rematch’
Jovana Vukoje tried to find the reasons for the defeat of her team:
‘They were better prepared tactically. They analyzed us, studied the way we play offense and closed our way to the basket. We couldn’t find a response to that, we failed to block their center and this is why we lost. We failed to take advantage of some counter attacks, we missed some easy points and this cost us the win.’
At the end, the scoreboard showed 64:61 for the Romanians.
The final of the women’s basketball tournament between the University of Zagreb and the University of Alba Iulia will be held on Monday, July 18, at Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall. The start is scheduled at 17.45.
