Spartak Moscow Region is through to the quarterfinals of the Euroleague with Friday’s 91-69 win over Lotos Gdynia that completed a two-game sweep of the teams’ eighth-final series. As in Game 1, host Gdynia got off to a quick start and led 19-13 after one quarter. The final three periods belonged to the three-time defending Euroleague champs. Spartak dominated the next two quarters, putting together a seven-point advantage by halftime and building on it from there.

Diana Taurasi led the Spartak attack, scoring 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including five makes from beyond the arc. Sue Bird helped set up her close friend, handing out eight assists to go along with seven points. Tanisha Wright had seven points and five assists for Lotos.

Janell Burse and TS Wisla Can-Pack will have to face a deciding Game 3 on Wednesday after falling 68-64 at Mizo Pecs. After two Burse free throws brought Wisla within four points inside the final minute, the team was unable to capitalize by making a three-pointer.  Burse made 15 trips to the free throw line and scored 16 points, tying Marta Fernandez for game-high honors. Wisla could not overcome a dominant performance from veteran Mizo Pecs point guard Dalma Ivanyi, who recorded a triple-double – 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as well as four steals.

The series will return to Krakow for Game 3, and Wisla has to feel good about its chances after controlling Game 1 at home and playing tough in Game 2. “I am sure that the next game is going to end with the same result as the first one in the series,” Burse said after the game.

The WNBL was also in action Friday night. The Sydney Uni Acuvue Flames came up with a big road win at Townsville, 77-73. The victory ensures that Sydney and Lauren Jackson’s Canberra TransAct Capitals will finish in the top three in the WNBL ladder. Which one finishes second and which third still has yet to be resolved. Still, the win could be costly for Sydney because Suzy Batkovic-Brown left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. No word yet on severity. Batkovic-Brown was having a phenomenal game, scoring 19 points in the first half and 28 before she left, but Sydney was able to overcome her absence and 26 points from the Fire’s Rohanee Cox.

Canberra kept pace by blowing out Perth 90-59 at home. Jackson needed just 20 minutes to put 27 points on the board, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and grabbing six rebounds. The Capitals have a chance to pull even with Sydney in the standings by winning Sunday at Adelaide.

Opening the best-of-three eighth-final Euroleague series on their home floors, the two elite teams with Storm players got off to great starts Tuesday, winning in lopsided fashion.

Actually, Tanisha Wright and Lotos Gdynia gave Spartak Moscow Region an early scare, taking a 10-0 lead at the start of Game 1 of their series. Any danger was short-lived, however. Spartak answered with an 11-0 spurt and led by 17 by halftime en route to doubling Gdynia up, 98-49. Sue Bird scored nine points, all from beyond the arc, in 19 minutes and did not commit a turnover. It was backcourt-mate Diana Taurasi who did much of the playmaking, handing out 10 assists in addition to recording six steals. Meanwhile, Sylvia Fowles (21 points, 10 boards) and Janel McCarville (22 and 7) dominated the paint.

Wright had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but shot just 5-of-17 from the field. As a team, Gdynia was barely over 30 percent from the field, had seven free throw attempts and committed 21 turnovers.

Janell Burse and TS Wisla Can-Pack held just a five-point advantage at the break, but they controlled the second half by stifling Mizo Pecs 2010 on offense in an 80-53 victory. The second-half margin was 38-17 as just two Mizo Pecs players (Nicole Ohlde, with 14, and former Storm draft pick Allie Quigley with 11) reached double-figures. Five scored at least 10 for Wisla, led by Burse’s 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nine boards and four steals. Iziane Castro Marques added 13.

Now, it’s out on the road for the middle game of the series for Spartak and Wisla, while Gdynia tries to stay alive at home. Game 2s of these series will be played on Friday.

Monday was the final round of the regular season in Israel. Already assured of the second seed in the playoffs, Maccabi Ashdod improved to 15-3 with a 78-76 win over ASA Jerusalem. A three by reserve Lena Mustafina with just three seconds left to play gave Ashdod the win. Ashley Walker had nine points and nine rebounds.

Camille Little had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards to help Maccabi Ramat Hen to an 89-83 win over Raanana Hertzeliya. Tiffany Jackson scored 27 points for Ramat Hen, which will take on Natanya as the No. 5 seed. Ashdod will face Raanana Hertzeliya in the quarterfinals next Monday.