On November 15, Rostislav Vergun's wards held a duel in Astana against the team of the same name. In a spectacular and worthy fight, the hosts of the site won with the score 78:74 (15:18, 15:20, 21:15, 27:21).
Starting fives:
MINSK: Daniil Kasko, Grigorii Motovilov, Vadzim Stubeda, Uladzislau Mikulski, Benjamin-Pavel Dodoo.
Astana: Markell Johnson, Devin Davis, Royce Hamm, Maxim Marchuk, Carvel Anderson.
Game progress
Minsk residents were pleased with a breakthrough of 7 points at the start of the first quarter thanks to accurate hits by Daniil Kasko and Uladzislau Mikulski. Such a groundwork allowed our team to feel confident in the opening 10 minutes of the meeting. Daniil Kasko, Uladzislau Mikulski and Vadzim Stubeda made a number of accurate throws again. In the last seconds of the quarter, playing with an equal score on the scoreboard, Grigorii Motovilov sent MINSK to the first break by the leaders of the court (15:18) with an accurate “three-point” shot.
In the second quarter, Rostislav Vergun's wards continued well-coordinated interaction both in defense and in defense, which led to a double-digit advantage in the score on the scoreboard (19:29). However, a couple of effective attacks of Astana again added tension to the duel. Jakob Cebasek, Jarred-Ogungbemi Jackson and Benjamin-Pavel Dodoo repeatedly scored points in the team standings, and the rivals left for the big break with a score of 30:38.
In the third quarter, the owners of the site came out on the floor ready to act faster and more aggressively. But Minsk residents continued to fight. Jacob Cebasek and Grigorii Motovilov were pleased with their accuracy when throwing from behind the arc. And frequent fouls by Oleg Kiselev's wards allowed Minsk residents to get 7 more points from the penalty line. The score before the final quarter was 51:53.
Interchange
All 10 minutes of the last quarter were kept in suspense: Astana managed to increase the pace of the game, declaring its desire to seize the lead on the court. The ending turned out to be the most nervous, when the score became equal twice. None of the rivals wanted to give away the victory. Unfortunately, in recent attacks, offensive blunders on the part of Minsk residents did not allow them to win the first victory of the season. The final score of the meeting is 78:74.
The most productive:
MINSK: Uladzislau Mikulski – 14 + 1 REB + 2 AST + 2 STL, Grigorii Motovilov – 13 + 2 REB + 3 AST, Jacob Cebasek – 13 + 6 REB + 2 AST.
Astana: Carvel Anderson - 17 + 1 REB + 2 AST + 2 STL, Royce Hamm – 16 + 13 REB + 1 AST, Markell Johnson – 13 + 5 REB + 7 AST + 1 STL.
MINSK head coach Rostislav Vergun: “Of course, it's a shame to lose a game in which we are in the lead most of the time. Compared to the previous match in Moscow, we played much more disciplined, with more energy, and this gave us such an opportunity. In the end, we had 3 completely free attacks, where we brought out the players we wanted. The level of our skill turned out to be lower than the level of the opponents who implemented their attacks. Unfortunately for us, we conceded.”
The next game of Minsk residents will be held at home on November 18 at the Falcon Club Arena. On the site, Rostislav Vergun's wards will meet with Zenit St. Petersburg. The match starts at 15:00, tickets are available on the website and at points of sale kvitki.by , as well as in the lobby of the arena 1.5 hours before the start of the match. Let's support MINSK together!
Photo: VTB United League