Tsmoki-Minsk outplayed Enisey on the road – 86:81 (27:17, 21:24, 17:20, 21:20).
Top scorers
Enisey: Dustin Hogue (19 + 11 rebounds), Ilia Popov (17 + 7 rebounds), Tyus Battle (16+ 7 assists), Sergey Balashov (13), Artem Komissarov (10).
Tsmoki-Minsk: Maksim Salash (26 + 5 rebounds), Kris Clyburn (16 + 5 rebounds), Toms Leimanis (10), Robert Lowery (10 + 11 assists).
Story
Due to COVID, Enisey was left without a number of key players (Aleksandr Gudumak, Mikhail Kulagin, Timofey Yakushin and Kerron Johnson) some hours before the game. To fill the roster, the Siberians had to field Leyton Hammonds who’s still recovering and youth team players. With this issues, Minsk were the front-runners of the game.
Eventually, the guests won the debut of the game under leadership of Aliaksei Trastinetski. The experienced forward sank two three-pointers to help Dragons gain 11:2 advantage. Enisey’s head coach Drazen Anzulovic called for time out which helped a little bit. The guests had extended the lead by only one point before the halftime (27:17).
Krasnoyarsk were still looking for their game in the second quarter. They shifted to the big guys. Dustin Hogue, Ilia Popov and Sergey Balashov scored 29 points in the first half, and Enisey decreased the gap down to 7 points – 41:48.
Key moment
The Siberians resumed the chase in the second half. In mid-3rd quarter, Dustin Hogue’s drive levelled the game – 70:70. The end of the game turned out to be nerves challenge – aced by Minsk. Uladzimir Verameyanka and Maksim Salash were accurate in a pack of free throws. Salash again made the decisive steal and fast break. 30 seconds to the end of the regulation, the guestd were 6 points ahead – 83:77. Meanwhile, Enisey were too tired for another comeback.
Hero
Maksim Salash set career high with 26 points and was the most efficient player of the night (30 poitns). Plus he revealed his skill with a number of key field goals.
Stat
14-point deficit was erased by Enisey. Twice. But it was not enough to win.
Comment
Enisey head coach Drazen Anzulovic:
“The team wanted to win, and I appreciate their trying hard. We started badly, suffered from bad organization so we let them make a run. But I told my guys to not give up, keep on fighting and get the game back step by step. We were very close in the second quarter, and in the second half, players’ work got us so close that we could’ve even eventually won. I told my players we are capable of winning even with this roster. Unfortunately we made some stupid mistakes. At the moment, the team is not in full fitness for basketball I want to see, but we know the reason.”
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Rostislav Vergun:
“Of course, I understand their situation, but Enisey deserve a credit for their mentality. We knew that they would miss some players, and someone will have to cover the blind spots like Ilia Popov for example. We didn’t expect it to be easy, so we were preparring seriously. I’m glad we’ve had enough patience to finish this game. Good luck to the opposition side, they are a great team. I hope they have a nice season. I can assure that Krasnoyarsk won’t be a piece of cake for anyone.”
Next
Enisey: October 9 at PARMA
Tsmoki-Minsk: October 4 at Zenit
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