EuroLeague Women: Galatasaray Stops Casademont Zaragoza Comeback (63-56), Sets All-Turkish Final

ZARAGOZA — Galatasaray Cagdas Faktoring defeated Casademont Zaragoza 63-56 and advanced to the EuroLeague Women final, where they will face their eternal rival Fenerbahce in an all-Turkish battle for the title.
The Ottoman squad controlled the game from the opening quarter with a dominant start. Led by the outside shooting of Marine Johannes, Galatasaray closed the first quarter with a commanding 24-4 lead and built a maximum advantage of 27 points, forcing the home team to fight an uphill battle all night.

Casademont Zaragoza, buoyed by a packed arena with over 10,000 fans, responded in the second half and mounted a comeback that cut the deficit to six points down the stretch. However, their effort fell short and the Spanish squad came up just short of another European upset.

Marine Johannes was the offensive star for the winners with 16 points, four three-pointers and four assists. Elizabeth Williams also proved decisive, shooting efficiently near the basket with 12 points, 8 rebounds and a 5-of-6 shooting performance.

The home team paid the price for a poor offensive start. Zaragoza opened the game shooting 1-of-15 and finished at 35% from two-point range, far below Galatasaray's 58%. Additionally, the Turkish squad punished turnovers with 20 points off turnovers.

Galatasaray will now play in the second continental final in their history and will seek the title against Fenerbahce. Casademont Zaragoza, after a historic season as hosts of the Final Six, will now play for third place against Spar Girona in an all-Spanish matchup.