The Bourges basketball players, already qualified, concluded the group stage of the Euroleague on Wednesday with a defeat at home, against Fenerbahçe (90-79), and will face another Turkish club, Mersin, in the quarter-finals.
The "Tangos", who even if successful could not finish higher than fourth in Pool A after Valencia's victory against Olympiacos (65-55), will host the Turks on March 14, before moving three days later in their room.
The eventual belle will also take place in Turkey on March 22.
The performance delivered Wednesday evening against the big favorite of the competition, led by his Americans Breanna Stewart (18 pts, 11 rebounds) and Kayla McBride (17 pts) as well as the Belgian Emma Meesseman (17 pts), authorizes them to dream of the Final Oven.
Even if they suffered the law of the Turkish steamroller after a hot start (29-21), they remained in the game until the end, within shooting range (two possessions) until the entry of the last two minutes thanks to the capital part of their Canadian pivot Kayla Alexander (24 pts, 13 rebounds).
Basket Landes ends on a positive note
In the quarter-finals, she will deliver a duel at high altitude against Jonquel Jones.
Mersin's other main weapon is US point guard Chelsea Gray, reigning Olympic and world champion.
Basket Landes for its part concluded its European campaign on a positive note, a fourth victory (for ten defeats) at home in pool B against the Hungarians of Miskol (72-63).
The former leader of the Bleues Céline Dumerc took the opportunity, at 40, to pass the bar of 2,000 points scored in the competition (2,012 with the 13 registered on Wednesday), for her very likely last match in this one.
Quarter-final schedule
Fenerbahçe (TUR) - Sopron (HUN)
USK Prague (CZE) - Salamanca (ESP)
Schio (ITA) - Valence (ESP)
Mersin (TUR) -
Bourges
(FRA)
(outward journey March 14, return March 17, possible fine March 22 )