MBA defeated Uralmash on the road – 79:77 (27:12, 18:27, 13:19, 21:19).
Game progress
Uralmash was considered the clear favorite in this game. But the guests dominated in the first quarter of the game. The hosts tried to get the initiative back with timeout and substitutions. But the guests came out extremely motivated and MBA lead reached 18 points – 26:8.
The hosts woke up in the second quarter. Stanley Whittaker, Garrett Nevels and Octavius Ellis rebooted Uralmash offense. The Yekaterinburg team started chasing the opponent and was only 6 points behind by the halftime – 45:39.
Key moment
As the third quarter progressed, the hosts caught up with the opponent. But the fate of the game was decided only in the end, where Vladislav Trushkin became the real hero. MBA forward scored 2 three-pointers, a free throw and sparked his team’s spurt – 75:70. Aleksandr Khomenko steal and Andrey Lopatin fastbreak layup further increased the guests’ lead – 77:70.
But in the remaining 25 seconds, the hosts managed to regain the intrigue and switched on an ultra-aggressive defense and tactical fouls. This strategy allowed Uralmash to cut the lead to a minimum 3 seconds before end – 77:78, but the hosts didn’t have enough time for more.
X-factor
Prior to this game, Uralmash led the League in average scoring this month (95.5 points). MBA was able to stop the opponents’ offense. The last time the Yekaterinburg team scored less than 80 points was on January 27 against Enisey on the road.
Fact
MBA stopped Uralmash 7-game winning streak. At the same time, the Yekaterinburg team lost for the first time at home with Rostislav Vergun.
MBA last defeated Uralmash on the road in December 2019 in the Super League – 84:78 OT.
Evgeny Minchenko became the 46th player in the League to break the 500 rebounds. After today’s game, MBA center has 504 rebounds.
Leaders
Uralmash: Stanley Whittaker (25 + 5 assists), Garrett Nevels (18), Octavius Ellis (15 + 6 rebounds).
MBA: Andrey Lopatin (17), Daniil Kasatkin (16 + 7 assists), Vladislav Trushkin (15 + 7 rebounds).
What’s next
Uralmash (18-14): March 21 on the road versus Astana
MBA (11-21): March 21 at home against Runa.
