On February 4, a VTB United League match was held at the Falcon Club Arena between principled rivals who have one victory each in previous meetings – MINSK and Enisey. Today, our team performed under the leadership of head coach Rostislav Vergun, who returned to the ranks after being unwell. The match ended with a score 42:69 (6:15, 11:11, 16:19, 9:24).
Starting fives
MINSK: Benjamin-Pavel Dodoo, Jovan Sljivancanin, Darol Hernandez Zinenko, Kanstantsin Pasko, Uladzislau Blizniuk.
Enisey: Angelo Warner, Alexandr Gudumak, James Thompson, Yauheni Beliankou, Timofei Gerasimov.
Game scenario
The opponent did not have Supreme Shakur Hannah on the floor today, who moved from MINSK to Enisey last month, and Aliaksei Trastsinetski and Daniil Kasko did not take part in the match in MINSK for health reasons. In the first ten minutes of the game, it was not easy for Minsk residents to get into the right pace in comparison with the opponent. Krasnoyarsk residents were able to make a breakthrough 10:0. Ognjen Pantovic interrupted the series of hits of the Enisey with an accurate “three-point”, as another accurate throw from behind the arc was made by center Zach Smith. The first quarter ended with a score of 6:15.
Zach Smith was able to clear the double-digit gap in the score thanks to two accurate shots from the penalty line at the beginning of the second quarter. Immediately after, Zach also pleased the audience with a spectacular dunk (10:17). Vadzim Stubeda, Zach Smith, and Ognjen Pantovic (15:23) were able to get important points in the team's piggy bank. In the last minutes of the quarter, Drazen Anzulovic's wards were able to regain a double-digit advantage in the score, which forced the head coach of MINSK to take a timeout. A hit from an average distance into the opponent's ring was made by DaQuan Bracey a minute before the end of the quarter, and the teams left for the big break with the score 17:26.
At the start of the third quarter, Minsk residents immediately joined the game and were able to make a 6:0 breakthrough, reducing the gap in the score to 3 points thanks to hits by Jovan Sljivancanin, DaQuan Bracey and Zach Smith. Following the second accurate “three-point” for the game, the fans were pleased with Ognjen Pantovic. However, in the meantime, the opponent did not slow down and repeatedly made retaliatory effective attacks. The teams came to the end of the quarter with a score of 33:45.
Interchange
Unfortunately, offensive losses and misses in the final quarter by Minsk residents led to an 11:0 breakthrough from Enisey and an increase in the difference in the score. Rostislav Vergun used the deadline time-out of the match in the middle of the quarter to try to rectify the situation. In the last minutes of the game, Uladzislau Maroz scored his debut points in the League when shooting from the penalty line in our team. The match ended with a score of 42:69.
The most productive:
“MINSK”: DaQuan Bracey – , 13 + 1 REB + 2 AST + 1 STL, Zach Smith – 11 + 4 REB + 1 AST + 1 block, Ognjen Pantovic – 7 + 4 REB + 1 AST + 1 STL.
“Enisey": James Thompson – 18 + 8 REB + 2 AST + 2 STL, Angelo Warner – 12 + 7 REB + 2 AST + 1 STL, Yauheni Beliankou – 9 + 2 STL.
Head coach assistant Aliaksei Sukhavetski: ”Today was a very difficult game. We didn't have much time after the match with Astana. A hard flight. But this does not justify us in any way. Absolutely nothing worked out for us, nothing worked. Where it was necessary to throw — we did not throw, we did not attack the paint. It turned out well to restrain the opponent for the first three quarters. In the third, we were still in the game. But the available resource was exhausted. We absolutely failed the fourth quarter.”
The next game of our team will take place on February 8 at 17:30 Minsk time at the home ground of PARMA-PARI. We believe in the team!