Enisey Russia defeated Tsmoki-Minsk Belarus at home, 91-80 (22-12, 19-21, 20-23, 30-24).
Top Scorers
Enisey: Martins Meiers (21 + 12 reb), Zabian Dowdell (17 + 6 ast), Denis Zakharov (11 + 6 ast), Suleiman Braimoh (11 + 5 reb)
Tsmoki-Minsk: Chris Czerapowicz (21 + 6 reb), Devon Saddler (15 + 5 reb), David Kravish (13 + 11 reb)
Story
Tsmoki-Minsk missed an opportunity for a big win, losing 91-80 to Enisey in Krasnoyarsk. The Siberians may not reach the postseason, but did pick up their third win in five games to climb out of the League cellar and improve to 6-16.
Martins Meiers led the home team with 21 points and 12 rebounds, shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field and 5-5 at the free-throw line.
Krasnoyarsk took control of the game early, cruising to a 22-12 lead in the 1st quarter. Meiers and Suleiman Braimoh both converted three-point plays, a sign of things to come. Enisey would finish the night 29-32 from the line, +17 on free throws to visiting Minsk.
Enisey guard Denis Zakharov, who chipped in with 11 points and six assists, pushed the lead to 15 with the first five points of the 2nd quarter. Tsmoki-Minsk answered with a 17-4 run, slicing the deficit to two with three minutes remaining in the half. But Krasnoyarsk scored 10 points down the stretch and led 41-33 at halftime.
The same dynamic continued in the second half. Every time Tsmoki-Minsk threatened and pulled to within a couple possessions, Enisey had a response.
Krasnoyarsk ultimately put the game away early in the 4th quarter. Thanks to a Justin Gray triple, Minsk only trailed by five, 61-56, to end the 3rd quarter. Two minutes into the final period, Chris Czerapowicz made it a four-point game, 65-61, knocking down his first triple of the night.
But Martins Meiers made a layup at the other end, and after a defensive stop, Zabian Dowdell knocked down three straight free throws, including a technical. The Enisey guard would go on to score 14 points in the 4th quarter, stretching Krasnoyarsk’s lead to 15 with less than four minutes remaining.
The victory lifts Enisey to 6-16 and into 12th place. Tsmoki falls to 7-15 with a make-or-break game next Sunday vs. VEF.
Stat
29-32 – The home team shot 90% from the line.
Give and Go
DAVID KRAVISH 😲 pic.twitter.com/9OPK3sicYc
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) April 29, 2018
Quotes
Enisey head coach Oleg Okulov:
– It’s hard to play three games in a week. The mental aspect is especially challenging, especially given how disappointed we were following the game vs. Zenit. But we played pretty hard, didn’t give up the glass, and had some nice stretches where we thwarted our opponent’s plans. I think the team did a nice job today.
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Alexander Krutikov:
– First, I want to congratulate our opponents on the win. Enisey played a very solid game today. We didn’t have enough on the glass. Plus, Dowdell played well for our opponents, and Komissarov hit a big shot when we had started to get close.
Up Next
Enisey: May 5 away vs. Lokomotiv-Kuban
Tsmoki-Minsk: May 5 home vs. VEF
Images of the Game
