Okonkwo Shines as Besiktas Fall to Athinaikos in EuroCup Thriller

D’Tigress captain Amy Okonkwo delivered a brilliant performance, but her efforts were not enough to save Besiktas Women from a narrow 84–82 overtime defeat to Athinaikos in the Women’s EuroCup.

Besiktas showed great fighting spirit, recovering from a 10-point deficit to tie the game at 75–75 after a strong fourth-quarter comeback in which they outscored the Greek side 15–5. However, Athinaikos edged the extra period 9–7 to seal victory in Athens.

Okonkwo led by example, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. She was highly efficient in attack, making six of her eight two-point attempts and missing only once from the free-throw line.

Maria Fasoula also impressed for Besiktas with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Mamignan Touré added 17 points and five assists in a tense and fast-paced contest.

Athinaikos controlled much of the first half, winning the opening two quarters 25–20 and 26–20. British guard Holly Winterburn was key to their success, recording 19 points and six assists to lead their scoring.

Robyn Parks produced a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Alexis Prince and Borislava Hristova contributed 13 and 12 points respectively for the home side.

The defeat was Besiktas’ third in five EuroCup games and their second loss in a row across all competitions, following a recent setback against Cukurova in the Turkish Women’s Basketball League.

Besiktas will aim to bounce back when they face Nesibe Aydin in their next league match on Saturday as they look to reignite their EuroCup campaign.