Preview of Austrian Women’s Basketball Playoff Game 1

KLOSTERNEUBURG, Austria (Interstat) — The undefeated Klosterneuburg women’s professional basketball team begins its playoff pursuit Thursday when it hosts Graz in Game 1 of their postseason series.

The matchup pits the league’s dominant force against its most persistent challenger. Klosterneuburg enters the playoffs with a perfect 20-0 record across all competitions this season. Graz, at 16-4, boasts the second-best record but has been unable to solve Klosterneuburg in three attempts.

The hosts swept the regular-season series, winning 72-68 on Jan. 18, 70-53 on Feb. 14, and also claimed a 64-58 victory in October. Klosterneuburg has won its games by an average margin of 26.5 points this season, including a 78-41 rout of Linz in its most recent outing on April 11.

Klosterneuburg is led by forward Iva Sanseovic, who is coming off a dominant 30-point, 12-rebound performance in that win over Linz. Her interior presence has been a consistent problem for opponents all season.

Graz, which edged the Vienna Flames 61-60 in its last game, will rely on forward Anja Knoflach. She scored 16 points in that narrow victory and posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double in late March. Her versatility will be key if Graz is to break through against the league’s top defense.

The series is a best-of-three format. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Graz, with a decisive Game 3, if necessary, back in Klosterneuburg on April 30.

Thursday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m. local time at Klosterneuburg Arena.