Ros Casares guard Elisa Aguilar believes the key to her side's hopes of reaching the EuroLeague Women Final Four lies with their defense.

Aguilar was outstanding on Tuesday night as Ros Casares took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three eighth-final tie with Wisla Can-Pack Krakow.

		“	Our defense has to take us to the Final Four.	„
		Elisa Aguilar

The 30-year-old Spanish international was pitted against Wisla ace Anna De Forge, and although the American scored a game-high 21 points in her side's 80-72 defeat, Aguilar felt she had made it difficult for the former WNBA star.

"It is true that on Tuesday I found some phenomenal defense and was able to control Anna De Forge quite well," said Aguilar, who also contributed eight points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win.

"In basketball everything is related to a good defense, and to get that you need to have heart and desire. Our defense has to take us to the Final Four."

Ros Casares and Wisla do battle again in game two in Poland on Friday, and Aguilar is expecting another hard-fought encounter.

"It was difficult to play against a team of this quality and on Tuesday we were missing something, but after the break we understood the message and returned to the court with much more more intensity," she said.