Peja 03 dethrone Bashkimi with gritty second-half comeback to claim Kosovo Women's SuperCup

Peja 03 opened the 2025-26 Kosovar women's basketball season with a statement, rallying from a halftime deficit to beat nine-time Superliga champions Bashkimi 65-61 in the Women's SuperCup at the Karagaqi Arena on December 6 before 200 fans.
Bashkimi led 27-22 at the break after a strong first quarter (17-13) and appeared in control, but Peja 03 flipped the script after halftime. Coach M. Thaci's side outscored the defending champions 22-14 in a pivotal third quarter to seize a 54-41 lead, before Bashkimi mounted a furious 20-11 fourth-quarter rally that fell just short.
Kiyana McGill-Jefferson (185-G-2001, college: Louisville) was the engine of Peja's victory, playing all 40 minutes and finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Arbnore Perquku (176-G-1988) matched her with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, six assists, and three rebounds, while Adrian Godbold) added 16 points and 13 rebounds (four offensive) for a commanding double-double. Chloe Chapman (170-G-2000, college: Georgia) was ruthlessly efficient with seven points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field in 25 minutes. Kirsty Brown (190-C-1999, college: Cal Poly) contributed five points, eight rebounds, and three steals.
For Bashkimi, Alexis Mead (163-G, college: WKU) led with 24 points on 7-of-20 shooting and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, adding seven rebounds and seven assists but committed six turnovers in a performance that reflected the thin line between brilliance and wastefulness. N Destiny had 17 points including five three-pointers, and captain Aulona Muhadri (182-F/C-1998) posted six points and 10 rebounds. Thaniya Marks (185-F-2001, college: UTEP) added nine with 10 rebounds. But Bashkimi shot just 31 percent from the field (20-of-63) and committed 17 turnovers numbers that doomed them despite Mead's individual heroics.
Peja 03's rebounding advantage (47-38) and superior interior play (47 percent from two versus Bashkimi's 30 percent) were the decisive factors in a physical contest that set the tone for a competitive women's season ahead.