Green’s 28 Points and Avtodor’s Hard-Fought Victory in Krasnoyarsk
Avtodor defeated Enisey on the road, 74–72 (11–15, 23–18, 16–17, 24–22).
Main Story
The first game of the season at the Enisey Arena began with a high number of missed shots from beyond the arc. The visitors had to wait until the second 10-minute period for their first three-pointer. Krasnoyarsk managed to open the scoring with a three-pointer in the first quarter, which gave them an early lead.
The opponents were unable to resolve their overall shooting efficiency issues, but Wendell Green—who was among the league’s top three scorers at the start of the season—quickly reached the 10-point mark and put Saratov in the lead. Egor Vanin’s aggressive play under the opponent’s basket helped Enisey head into halftime trailing by only a single point.
The third quarter was marked by a tight battle. The lead changed hands eight times during this stretch, but in the end, the teams entered the final quarter tied at 50–50.
The Clutch Moment
Two quick three-pointers in a row by Avtodor forced Yenisey to spend the entire final 10 minutes playing catch-up. The home team managed to tie the score with 8 seconds left in the game, but two made free throws by Alexander Evseev secured the victory for the visitors.
X-Factor
Wendell Green scored 28 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists, making 8 of 11 two-point shots, 2 of 6 three-pointers, and 6 of 7 free throws.
Interesting Facts
Wendell Green set a new personal scoring record in the League and posted the second-best performance of the season in efficiency (39) and points (28).
The last time these teams faced off, the visitors won in December 2024—a victory, which also was secured by Avtodor.
Saratov leads the head-to-head series 18–12.
Press Conference
Enisey Head Coach Jovica Arsić:
– Congratulations to Avtodor on their victory. They gave it their all and did what they had to do. We didn’t play the way I expect the team to this season; we made rookie mistakes. Right now, the team lacks mental stability, and we aren’t playing well together. We started to panic just when everything was going well for us, and we let our opponent win. I hope we’ll look better in the next game.
Avtodor Head Coach Rostislav Vergun:
– First and foremost, I’d like to thank Enisey for accommodating us. I understand the significance of the first home game of the season, especially on a weekend, so I’m very grateful to the club for prioritizing the greater good. This commands enormous respect for the entire club. I understand how much the rescheduling of the game affected Jovica Arsić, and perhaps today his team wasn’t able to play the kind of basketball they were ready for two days ago.
As for the game, I’d like to highlight my team’s discipline, which has been a hallmark of ours since the start of the season. We have a challenging season ahead of us, but I’m proud of the guys and how they’re developing. Today we had 11 turnovers, though we could have had even fewer and closed out the game sooner. Everyone fully understands their roles and takes them seriously. We’re looking good as a team, and as a coach, I need to maintain that and look for ways to improve. But specifically today, this is a team victory. I congratulate my guys, and I’d like to wish our opponent a good season and hope they get through today
Highlights:
Top Performers
Enisey: Charles Callison (19 points + 6 assists), Evgeny Belyankov (9 points + 8 rebounds)
Avtodor: Wendell Green (28 points + 5 rebounds + 7 assists), Vitalius Pranauskis (13), Daniil Kosko (10 + 5 rebounds), Curtis Hollis (10)
Up Next
Enisey: October 10, away against MBA
Avtodor: October 11, away against Zenit.
