The AEL women’s team put in a strong performance against the talented Charnay Basket, despite a 93-80 loss at “Spyros Kyprianou,” in the second round of Group A of the EuroCup Women. The Limassol team stayed close on the scoreboard for much of the game and put up a competitive fight against the French team.
Charnay got off to a better start and took a 9-4 lead, but AEL fought back. With Piedel making plays from the perimeter and Mead and Quinerly contributing offensively, the blue-and-yellows managed to even the score. The first quarter ended with the French team leading 23-19.
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AEL stepped up its performance even further in the second quarter. Pilakouta hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, 45-46, and shortly afterward, Mead made a free throw to put the Limassol team ahead 42-41. The two teams remained neck-and-neck until the end of the first half, with Charnay heading into the locker room with a lead of just two points, 39-37.
The turning point came in the third quarter. Charnay found more scoring options on offense and gradually extended its lead, but AEL continued to fight back. Piedel hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 54-51, while Quinerly and Mead kept the Cypriot team in the game. The visitors ended the quarter at 71-61, having taken a double-digit lead for the first time.
In the final quarter, Charnay maintained control and extended the lead to 20 points, but AEL did not give up. With Mead, Papalla, and Quinerly scoring in the final minutes, the blue-and-yellows narrowed the gap, bringing the final score to 80-93.
AEL’s leading scorer was JJ Quinerly with 21 points, while Alexis Mead scored 20 and dished out seven assists. Kinga Piedel also had a strong performance with 20 points and 4-for-7 shooting from three-point range, while Sarah Ousfar added nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
For Charnay, Molly Kaiser stood out with 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Alberte Rimdal scored 15 points. The French team had a total of 57 rebounds and 25 assists, statistics that played a significant role in the outcome of the game.
AEL now turns its attention to its next European match against HBA Helsinki, where it will seek to secure its first victory in the group stage.
Quarter scores: 19-23, 18-16, 24-32, 19-22.
AEL (Michalis Kounounis): Koukouri, Mead 20 (2), Pilakouta 5 (1), Piedel 20 (4), Ousfar 9 (1), Ratsa 1, Papalla 4, Quinerly 21 (2), Themistokleous, Oikonomidou.
Charnay Basket (Stephane Leite): Ziegler 8, Rimdal 15 (4), Kaiser 18 (1), Dalstra 9, Toure 14, Forbes 9 (1), Bussiere 6 (2), Raimbault 6 (2), Sevaux 8.
