AUSSIES AIMING FOR EUROCUP SUCCESS IN 2018

For the women, three Australians advanced to the group stage but Marianna Tolo’s AGU Spor team from Turkey and Lauren Mansfield’s Energa Torun from Poland were both eliminated in the group stage.

Tolo was outstanding across six contests, finishing fourth for points scored with 17.8 per game on 61% shooting while adding 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

Mansfield has also impressed in her first European stint, sitting fourth overall for assists with 7.8 per game and she has come close to a triple-double on several occasions with nine points, eight rebounds, 12 assists against ACS Sepsi and then nine points, seven boards, ten assists and eight points, nine rebounds and eight dimes in two games against Piestanske Cajky.

However, Leilani Mitchell is still alive with Turkish side Hatay advancing to the Round of 16 after finishing on top of Group D with a 6-0 record.

They will battle Enisey who finished 3-3 in Group C in a two-game home and away series starting tonight Australian time and ending on January 11.

Mitchell will be key to Hatay’s chances as she is averaging 11.8 points, 6.3 assists (sixth overall) and 1.5 steals while also shooting 35% from the three-point arc.

In the men’s competition, Ryan Broekhoff and Ben Madgen are well in contention for the EuroCup title as they have both moved into the Top 16 as well.

Becoming an entrenched member of Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia, Broekhoff has led them to an 11-game winning streak in the EuroCup which includes a win yesterday in their first game of the Round of 16.

Broekhoff knocked down 5-7 from deep for 15 points and had ten rebounds for a double-double in that clash while he sits second for the team with 12.4 points per game, hitting a ridiculous 75% from the field and 53% from beyond the arc.

Madgen’s side Lietuvos Rytas have not been as quite as successful as Lokomotiv Kuban and dropped their opening game of the Round of 16 yesterday but still own a 6-6 record overall with Madgen recording 8.2 points and 1.8 assists per game.

Broekhoff will next play on January 11 while Madgen hits the court on January 10 with Lietuvos Rytas as they aim to atone for yesterday’s disappointment.

As the 2017/18 EuroCup finals head towards their conclusion, three Aussies across the men’s and women’s tournaments are still in contention for the Championship.