Zielona Gora beat CSKA at home – 93:90 (24:29, 24:28, 22:12, 23:21)
Top scorers
Zielona Gora: Iffe Lundberg (26+5 rebounds+6 assists), Kris Richard (25), Rolands Freimanis (14), Geoffrey Groselle (12+7 rebounds)
CSKA: Tornike Shengelia (19), Daniel Hackett (12+5 assists), Semen Antonov (12), Ivan Ukhov (11)
Story
Zielona Gora managed to score their first points only after 5 minutes from the start. CSKA were leading 12:0, and then they gained 15-point lead.
However, the Poles managed to stand it and scored lots of three-pointers (18 from 24 team points were scored from beyond the arc). The main Gora’s force was Kris Richard who scored 14 points in the first quarter.
The hosts started the second quarter confidently but CSKA rearranged the defense and used wider rotation giving a hard time to the Poles. In the offense, CSKA were depending on Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia. As a result, the Red-Blues gained a comfortable lead by the second half – 57:48.
During the half time Zielona Gora coaching staff that was led by Zan Tabak’s assistant Felix Alonso contributed to the game. In the third the hosts showed perfect defense. 5 minutes in a row Zielona Gora didn’t let CSKA score and took the lead beginning the final quarter as leaders – 70:69.
Key moment
The fourth started with hosts’ 6-0 run. CSKA situation became tougher with each next possession, after Cecil Williams accurate long-range make Poles’ lead turned double digits – 84:74. After an emergency time-out by Dimitris Itoudis CSKA managed to come back to the game, Hackett and Strelniekis threes started answering run 8:0 cutting Moscow gap to 2 points.
The game was expected to be decided in last seconds. After a miss by Rolands Freimanis with 90-90 on the scoreboard CSKA had comfortable 15 seconds for the decisive shot. The main game hero Kris Richard stole the ball from Hackett and hit a game-winning three with 1,7 seconds left. Shengelia missed his own half shot.
Hero
Kris Richard. Although scoring leader is usual incredible Iffe Lundberg Richard scored only 1 point less and decided the game in clutch. He hit 6 from 6 three-point attempts.
Comments
Zielona Gora acting head coach Felix Alonso:
– The feelings are incredible! Recently we had lots of games, almost no rest but the guys managed to show high level basketball against one of the Europe best teams. In the second half we got ahead of ourselves allowing only 33 points. I am proud of this team.
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis:
– First of all, congratulations to Zielona Gora. The game was even, it could have ended different. We started strong, 17:2 but then the opponents made 2 runs that gave us a hard time. Zielona Gora hit tough shots in the most needed time. Every Euroleague team have hard schedule now. Joel Bolomboy got injured during the game. But we still believe.
Stat
1 – first franchise victory by Zielona Gora over CSKA.
Next
Zielona Gora: February 7 vs Nizhny Novgorod
CSKA: February 7 vs Kalev
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