The women’s basketball team of NKA Universitas Pécs earned an away victory with a fantastic performance, defeating Lointek Gernika Bizkaia of Spain in the third round of the EuroCup Women group stage. Our girls claimed a 66–63 triumph in the famously difficult Maloste Arena, where in recent years several European powerhouses, including Galatasaray, Valencia Basket, and Hatay BB — have all fallen.
From the very first moments, it was clear that the Pécs players arrived fully focused for the game. With disciplined defense, quick transitions, and accurate finishing, they shocked the home side. Gernika managed to score only 7 points in the opening ten minutes, while Pécs, led by Julia Reisingerová, Ágnes Studer, and Adenike Olawuyi, built up a 15-point lead. At the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard showed 7–22.
In the second period, the home team settled into the game and tried to slow down Pécs’ offense. The Spaniards found success through Emily Bessoir and Joy Adams, but the Hungarian side stayed calm.
Julia Reisingerová continued to lead the Pécs offense, while Sara Krnjic and Alíz Varga added important baskets. At halftime, Pécs still held a nine-point lead, 30–38.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Gernika changed rhythm, under the leadership of Emily Bessoir and Ane Olaeta, they switched to aggressive defense and gradually reduced the gap. Our offense stalled for a while: several turnovers and missed shots allowed the hosts to take the lead. By the end of the third quarter, Gernika had turned the game around, 50–47, setting up a tense final ten minutes.
In the last quarter, NKA Universitas Pécs came back to life. Panka Dúl and Ágnes Studer played key roles, while Julia Reisingerová drew fouls and made crucial free throws. In the final minute, with the score tied at 63–63, Ágnes Studer’s three-pointer decided the game. She calmly sank the decisive shot. Gernika had two more attempts to force overtime, but both missed.
This was NKA Universitas Pécs’s second victory over Lointek Gernika Bizkaia, which means the team now sits at the top of Group C.
Head coach Zeljko Djokic shared his thoughts after the game:
“Congratulations to the team and the staff. They delivered a fantastic performance tonight. This was a heroic victory, especially considering all the difficulties we faced and the fact that the team was struggling with several issues. From the very beginning of the season, we set a goal to be able to win important road games against strong opponents, just like here, in the Maloste Arena. This success is an important step forward in our development. Once again, huge congratulations to everyone!”
Lointek Gernika Bizkaia – NKA Universitas Pécs 63–66
(7–22, 23–16, 20–9, 13–19)
EuroCup Women, Group C – Gernika, Polideportivo Maloste
Referees: Malane (LUX), Rotter (GER), Innal (GER)
Lointek Gernika Bizkaia: Olaeta 9 (1), Westerik 6, Jankovic 5 (1), Matarranz 6, Bessoir 12 (1)
Subs: Castedo 9 (3), Polleros 5 (1), Krnjic 4, Adams 7
NKA Universitas Pécs: Studer 7 (1), Tóth 4, Török 14 (2), Varga 9 (1), Reisingerová 23 (2)
Subs: Rátkai 7 (1), Dúl 2, Olawuyi –
