Spartak Defeats Dynamo

Saturday brought the first of two regular-season matchups between Storm teammates in Russia, as Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson led Spartak against Janell Burse and Dynamo Moscow. Spartak cruised to a 104-71 win to remain unbeaten in the Russian Superleague.

Bird was outstanding, hitting nine-of-13 from the field in scoring 25 points while handing out nine assists in 34 minutes of action. Jackson added firepower off the bench, scoring 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 19 minutes and shooting 6-of-10 from the field. Burse was solid for Dynamo, finishing with 12 points and seven boards, but her team simply lacked the firepower to keep up with the loaded Spartak squad, which won the third quarter 30-10.

Another game, another win for Tarbes Bigorre Elite. And another nailbiter, with Tarbes surviving a fourth-quarter run to beat Mondeville 73-69. Tanisha Wright was strong as always, scoring 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and handing out four assists.

Kelly Santos' 20 points were not enough in Cadi La Seu's 77-57 loss to Mann Filter Zaragoza. Zaragoza boasted more balanced scoring, with LaToya Thomas (17) leading five players in double-figures. Meanwhile, just two other Cadi La Seu players topped four points. Cadi La Seu was also beaten badly on the glass, 39-14, with Santos (two rebounds) having a quiet night there.

In Turkey, TED Kayseri Koleji suffered a tough 78-74 loss to traditional power Fenerbahce. Camile Little contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. However, Matee Ajavon's 21 points proved the difference.

USK Praha got little competition Friday from Sparta Praha, winning 124-65 after outscoring Sparta 34-9 in the second quarter alone. With the lopsided score, Swin Cash finished her night early, having scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards in 20 minutes of action. Seven players scored 15 or more for USK Praha.

Athinaikos escaped a scare from Panionios, winning 58-56 to remain undefeated in Greek A1 play. Athinaikos led by 11 at the half before the game got tight. Katie Gearlds chipped in six rebounds on a night where she could not find her shot, finishing 1-of-9 from the field for three points. Athinaikos and Apollon Ptolemaidas are the lone undefeated teams remaining in Greece at 4-0.

Kristen O'Neill returned to action for her UL Aughnish squad in Ireland after missing three games and immediately helped lead a second-half comeback. Aughnish rallied after trailing by 14 in the third quarter for a 72-67 win over the Waterford Wildcats. O'Neill scored a team-high 22 points in the win.