Lokomotiv Kuban beat Fenerbahce in the first SuperCup Semifinal – 105:89 (24:36, 27:22, 29:17, 25:14).
Game progress
Fenerbahce took the lead in the opening quarter. Three-pointers gave the Turkish team an 11:0 lead, Aleksander Sekulic immediately responded with a timeout. Lokomotiv Kuban stayed in the game due to quick and efficient transitions, but Dimitris Itoudis team made almost every shot in the first quarter – 7 of 8 three-pointers and 36:24 by the first break.
In the second quarter, Loko had second-chance scoring opportunities with the help of Andrey Martiuk, who grabbed 4 offensive rebounds for his team, but three-pointers by Nick Calathes and Scottie Wilbekin at the end of the first half prevented the Krasnodar team from overtaking their opponent – 59:51 Fenerbahce led before the halftime.
Key moment
After the break, DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell scoring and tight defense allowed Loko to change the game. The Krasnodar team had a 5-point lead before the final quarter.
Itoudis timeouts didn’t help Fenerbahce get back into the game: a 14-2 run by Loko and a 19-point lead midway through the quarter. The surging Loko had no trouble holding on to a 105:89 win.
Key factor
Fenerbahce failed to keep their lead after an extremely productive first quarter. After going 7 out of 8 threes at the game start, the Istanbul team made only 5 out of 20, allowing Loko to use such mistakes. The Krasnodar team made their shots, bringing their 3-point percentage to 57.1%.
Fact
Lokomotiv Kuban showed character and made a 14-point comeback.
Leaders
Fenerbahce: Sertac Sanli (13 points), Jonathan Motley (13 points), Marko Guduric (12 points), Nate Sestina (10 points).
Lokomotiv Kuban: DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (25 points), Jordan Morgan (18 points), Okaro White (16 points + 5 rebounds), Vladislav Emchenko (10 points + 6 assists + 5 rebounds), Anton Kvitkovskikh (10 points).
What’s next
Fenerbahce: September 24 with the loser of Zenit – Pari Nizhny Novgorod pairing in the 3rd place game.
Lokomotiv Kuban: September 24 with the winner of Zenit – Pari Nizhny Novgorod pairing in the Final.
