Spartak Moscow Region got its biggest win in Euroleague play on Wednesday, knocking off Halcon Avenida, which had been undefeated atop Group C. Playing at home, Spartak took the lead for good early in the first quarter. Avenida got within three multiple times during the fourth period, but a 15-4 Spartak run helped secure a 72-60 victory. Spartak won despite an off shooting night from Lauren Jackson, who hit just 2-of-13 from the field. Jackson contributed on the glass, pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds to go with her nine points. Irina Osipova had 15 points and seven boards. Erika de Souza scored a game-high 19 points and Sancho Lyttle had a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds for Avenida.

With the win, Spartak is 3-2 at the midway point of Euroleague group play, a game behind Avenida in Group C.

Ros Casares Valenica completed the first half of Euroleague group play undefeated at 5-0 thanks to Wednesday’s 82-74 win over Frisco Sika Brno. The game featured a terrific post battle between Rebekkah Brunson and a healthy Cheryl Ford. Brunson went for 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Ford finished with 17 points and 20 boards as one of three Brno players to play all 40 minutes. Just six players saw action in total for Brno; five of them scored double-figures. By contrast, Ros Casares’ wide-open rotation featured 11 players. Jana Vesela had four points and two rebounds in 17 minutes.

Over in the EuroCup, Elizur Ramla moved another step closer to advancing with Thursday’s 79-61 win over visiting Hatis Yerevan. Ramla got a double-double from Laine Selwyn (16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists). Add in 20 points from Shay Doron and 18 for Le’coe Willingham and the team did not need much scoring from Tanisha Wright. Wright finished with eight points, four rebounds and four steals. Ramla has already clinched a trip to the 16th-finals, but is still playing for positioning in Group F. A win Thursday against Dynamo GUVD would ensure first place, as would a loss by fewer than about six points (because EuroCup uses point ratio instead of point differential, the exact number depends on how many total points both teams score).

Moving to domestic action, Canberra extended its WNBL-leading record to 10-1 with Wednesday’s 76-53 victory over crosstown rivals the Australian Institute of Sport. The AIS, which is in the league cellar, actually led 15-13 after one quarter before Canberra resumed normalcy by taking a 13-point lead to the half. Alison Lacey had a solid all-around effort with seven points, five rebounds and three assists. Michelle Cosier led the Capitals with 20 points and 13 boards. Jessica Bibby added 13 and Suzy Batkovic scored eight points.

The Dandenong Jayco Rangers got back in the winning column Friday, beating the visiting Townsville Flames 74-59. Ashley Robinson had five rebounds and four blocks as Dandenong held Townsville to 35 percent shooting, including just one three-pointer in four attempts. Kathleen MacLeod had a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards for the Fire, while Jessica Foley (17) and Tracy Gahan (16) were the team’s top scorers.

In Russia, Spartak took down Dynamo Moscow 86-74. A 26-16 edge during the third quarter proved decisive. Jackson had 12 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes while battling foul trouble. Epiphanny Prince, Noelle Quinn and Irina Sokolovskaya all scored 13 points. Marina Kuzina posted a game-high 18 points for Dynamo.

Ros Casares earned a high-scoring 102-72 victory over Cadi La Seu. Brunson powered the way with 27 points and 15 boards. Edwige Lawson scored 17 points and Marta Fernandez 16. Vesela had two points and two boards in 10 minutes of play.

Spartak Moscow Region was able to put its early Euroleague struggles in the rear-view mirror Wednesday, dominating Tarbes GB 87-55 in a game that was never close. Playing at home in Vidnoje, Spartak opened the game with a 14-4 run behind the offensive punch of Lauren Jackson, who scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the first half. Jackson shot 7-of-13 from the field in 24 minutes of action, taking a seat for good early in the second half with the game well in hand. Epiphanny Prince added 16 points and Pokey Chatman was complimentary of the defense played by Ilona Korstin, Sonja Petrovic and Noelle Quinn against Jelena Dubljevic, who had scored 20-plus points in her previous two games but was limited to just six shot attempts against Spartak.

Ros Casares Valencia ground out a 60-53 home victory over Gorzow Wednesday, remaining one of four undefeated teams in Euroleague play. Ros Casares scored just 25 points during the second half, while the overall offensive numbers (19 turnovers, 2-of-10 three-point shooting) were not pretty. However, Ros Casares’ defense stepped up to force 21 turnovers and allow just one triple in 13 attempts. Rebekkah Brunson and Katie Douglas scored 16 points apiece, with Brunson pulling down 11 rebounds. Jana Vesela had six points, four boards, three steals and two assists.

The Storm duo powered Elitzur Ramla to an 86-68 victory over Elitzur Natanya Monday in Israeli action. Le’coe Willingham put up 21 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 8-of-10 from the field, while Tanisha Wright scored 25 points and handed out seven assists, making five three-pointers.

Camille Little and Electra Ramat Hasharon survived a thriller Monday, beating Hapoel Rishon Lezion 57-53. Little’s double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds led Ramat Hasharon, which also got 14 points and nine boards from Minnesota’s Alexis Hornbuckle.

Ros Casares Valencia got a bit of a test Sunday from Girona FC, but pulled away during the fourth quarter of a 65-50 victory. Ros Casares held a 19-9 edge during the final period, ending Girona’s hopes of dropping Ros Casares from the ranks of the unbeatens. Jana Vesela had a strong game with 11 points and six rebounds in the slow-paced, defensive affair. 12 points apiece from Rebekkah Brunson (who added 11 boards) and Nuria Martinez led Ros Casares. Next week sees Ros Casares face fellow Spanish heavyweight Halcon Avenida in a battle of undefeated teams.

In Russian Superleague play, Spartak Moscow Region overwhelmed fellow Spartak Noginsk 101-35 on Sunday. With the outcome never in question, Pokey Chatman was able to get her star players some rest after playing them just enough to stay in rhythm. Lauren Jackson lasted just over seven minutes, which was enough time for her to post six points and five boards. All 12 players on the roster scored at least five points. Spartak Noginsk was limited to just 21.2 percent shooting.

The Canberra Transact Capitals retained first place in the WNBL with an 87-59 win over the Bendigo Spirit on Saturday. Canberra doubled what was a 14-point lead entering the final quarter by the final buzzer. Canberra was topped by Michelle Cosier with 22 points. Suzy Batkovic made her return from a knee injury with six rebounds. Alison Lacey had an assist and a steal. Kristi Harrower scored 14 points for Bendigo.

The second-place Dandenong Jayco Rangers kept pace with the Capitals by earning a second blowout victory in as many games – this one by a 98-64 final over the Adelaide Lightning. Dandenong scored 36 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Abby Bishop led all scorers with 22 points, while Ashley Robinson added five.

Elitzur Ramla, with Storm players Le’coe Willingham and Tanisha Wright on the roster, is the lone Storm team competing in the EuroCup – Europe’s second-tier international competition. Ramla defeated Dynamo – GUVD 75-65 at home on Thursday to improve to 2-0 midway through Group F play. Willingham controlled the paint against the Russian side, scoring 17 points and grabbing 15 rebounds – seven on the offensive end. Willingham and Wright were responsible for 12  Ramla points in a row late in the game. Wright scored 23 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists. Ramla has next week off from EuroCup before continuing play on Thanksgiving.

In a battle of the last two unbeaten teams in the Euroleague’s Group D, Ros Casares Valencia topped Beretta-Famila Schio 76-67 Wednesday in Schio, claiming sole title to first place in the group at 3-0. The home team took a three-point lead to the locker room, but Ros Casares came out of the break strong outscoring Schio 22-6 in the third quarter. Schio would get no closer than eight points during the final period. Rebekkah Brunson controlled the paint with 20 points and 11 rebounds (outplaying Janel McCarville, who had 14 and 10). Marta Fernandez matched her scoring total and handed out five assists. Jana Vesela, who started and played 29 minutes, had six points, four rebounds and two assists.

Meanwhile, Spartak Moscow Region was suffering another Euroleague defeat in Prague. A barnburner with USK Praha saw neither team lead by more than six points during the second half. Lauren Jackson’s layup made it a two-point game with 44 seconds to play, but little-used Michaela Ferancikova drew a foul and made two free throws, meaning Epiphanny Prince’s late triple was in vain. USK Praha ran out the clock on a 73-72 win that dropped Spartak to 1-2 in Euroleague play. Jackson had 16 points (including three triples) and seven rebounds and Prince threatened a triple-double with 15 points, eight assists and seven boards. However, USK Praha was able to rely on stars DeLisha Milton-Jones, Eva Viteckova and Lindsay Whalen, who combined for 60 points and 22 rebounds in the win.

Over the weekend, Spartak began a two-game aggregate quarterfinal series in the Cup of Russia by beating Spartak Sports School 74-66. Jackson’s 14 points and nine rebounds led four Spartak players in double-figures, with two more adding nine points. Spartak was +14 with Jackson on the floor, second only to Anete Jekabsone-Zogota’s +17. The return leg will be played Nov. 28 in Vidnoje.