Basket Landes’s bid for the Final 6 in the EuroLeague Women has come to an end. Facing a dominant Zaragoza side, the French team was overcome by a combination of poor shooting accuracy and a significant disadvantage in rebounds. The passionate support of 1,200 fans from the southwest of France could not spur them to victory.
The offensive struggles were evident, with Basket Landes converting only 21 out of 66 field goal attempts. Zaragoza, on the other hand, outrebounded their opponents 46 to 32. Murjanatu Musa was a lone bright spot for Basket Landes, contributing 19 points and 8 rebounds, but she lacked sufficient support.
The defeat was largely orchestrated by French players on the Zaragoza squad. Ornella Bankole, who was exceptional from beyond the arc with 4/4 three-pointers, scored 16 points. Aminata Gueye added 17 points, and American player Merritt Hempe contributed 15 points. Together, these three players accounted for 48 of Zaragoza’s 69 points. The presence of a third French player on Zaragoza, Carla Leite, was limited to just three minutes of play due to a cheekbone injury sustained during the game.
Five Minutes Without Scoring
Basket Landes entered this crucial match without Camille Droguet due to injury and Destiny Littleton, who was ineligible for the Euroleague. This situation led to Leïla Lacan being placed in the starting lineup.
From the outset, Leïla Lacan showed initiative, while Murjanatu Musa was primarily responsible for scoring. After several ties, Basket Landes took a five-point lead at 11-6 with a fortunate three-pointer from Louise Bussière that bounced off the backboard. The first quarter was marred by the injury to Carla Leite, who received an accidental blow to the cheekbone from Sixtine Macquet during a rebound, which incited the Spanish crowd. Shortly before the end of the period, Ornella Bankole helped Zaragoza take the lead at 18-19.
The pairing of Ornella Bankole (7 points) and Aminata Gueye (12 points with a perfect 6/6 shooting) overwhelmed the Basket Landes defense, propelling Zaragoza into a strong period of play, leading 22-29 at the 14th minute and 24-33 by the 18th. Despite visible effort and speed from Basket Landes, their play became disorganized, and their shooting accuracy completely deserted them, leading to a scoring drought of nearly five minutes. Only Murjanatu Musa had consistently contributed to the scoreboard up to that point (10 points on 5/8 shooting), explaining the nine-point deficit at halftime (26-35).
A Small Reaction for Honor
American forward Merritt Hempe, with a Macedonian passport, started strongly for Casademont, further extending the lead to 29-44. Facing a critical situation, Basket Landes coach Julie Barennes called an urgent timeout, but her players continued to miss shots. Zaragoza’s lead grew to 32-49 with another three-pointer from Ornella Bankole, and then 34-54 with a subsequent long-range shot from the French player. The Landaises were in deep trouble, trailing 40-62 at the buzzer after yet another three-pointer from Bankole.
Inspired by Murjanatu Musa, the Basket Landes players showed great fighting spirit, their main quality on this Wednesday, and finally managed to challenge the Spanish team, closing the gap to 50-64. However, this did not shake the confidence of the Aragonese side.
The box score is available here.
Quarter-finals:
Girona def. Venice: 70-64
Zaragoza def. Basket Landes: 69-53
Semi-finals:
Galatasaray vs. Zaragoza
Fenerbahçe vs. Girona
English Translation:
Women’s Euroleague: Basket Landes Says Goodbye to the Final 6
Basket Landes has been eliminated from the Women’s Euroleague, succumbing to Zaragoza in a quarter-final match that saw them bid farewell to the Final 6. The French team’s hopes were dashed by a significant lack of shooting accuracy (21/66) and being dominated on the boards (32 to 46). Murjanatu Musa was a standout performer for Basket Landes, scoring 19 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, but she found herself largely isolated.
The key offensive threats for Zaragoza were French players. Ornella Bankole, who was exceptional from three-point range (4/4), scored 16 points. Aminata Gueye added 17 points, and American player Merritt Hempe contributed 15 points. Together, these three were responsible for 48 of Zaragoza’s 69 points. The team’s third French player, Carla Leite, was limited to just three minutes of play due to an injury to her cheekbone.
Five Minutes Without Scoring
Basket Landes approached this historic game without Camille Droguet, who was injured, and Destiny Littleton, who was not eligible for the Euroleague. Consequently, Leïla Lacan was placed in the starting five.
Leïla Lacan immediately showed initiative, while Murjanatu Musa was the primary scorer. After several ties, Basket Landes took a five-point lead at 11-6 with a somewhat lucky three-pointer from Louise Bussière that bounced off the backboard. The first quarter was marked by the injury of Carla Leite, who was accidentally hit in the cheekbone by Sixtine Macquet during a rebound, much to the fury of the Spanish crowd. Just before the end of the period, another French player, Ornella Bankole, helped Zaragoza take the lead at 18-19.
The combination of Ornella Bankole (7 points) and Aminata Gueye (12 points on 6/6 shooting) disrupted the Basket Landes defense, and Zaragoza went on a strong run, leading 22-29 at the 14th minute and 24-33 by the 18th. Despite showing desire and speed, Basket Landes’ play became disjointed, and their shooting was completely off, resulting in them failing to score for nearly five minutes. Up to that point, only Nigerian player Musa had consistently contributed to the score (10 points on 5/8 shooting), which explains the nine-point deficit at halftime (26-35).
A Small Reaction for Honor
American forward Merritt Hempe, who holds a Macedonian passport, started the game perfectly for Casademont, further extending the gap to 29-44. Reaching a critical point, Julie Barennes called an urgent timeout, but a coach is powerless when her players consistently miss their shots. The score became 32-49 after a three-pointer by Ornella Bankole, and 34-54 after another basket from the French player for Zaragoza. The Landaises were in deep trouble, trailing 40-62 at the buzzer after yet another three-pointer from Bankole!
Boosted by Murjanatu Musa, the Landaises, who were very combative – their main quality on this Wednesday – finally took on the Spanish bull: 50-64… but this was not enough to disrupt the confidence of the Aragonese team.
The box score is available here.
Quarter-finals:
Girona def. Venice: 70-64
Zaragoza def. Basket Landes: 69-53
Semi-finals:
Galatasaray vs. Zaragoza
Fenerbahçe vs. Girona
