Lokomotiv Kuban defeated Runa on the road – 80:74 (24:8, 19:24, 18:19, 19:23).
Game progress
The Krasnodar team tried to create a decisive lead in the first quarter. Great defense allowed Loko to win the opening quarter – 24:8. The second quarter started with 6 straight points by Nikola Ivanovic, which prevented Loko from making the lead huge, but by halftime the difference remained double-digit – 43:32.
Loko seemed to got the winning lead at the second half – long-range shots by Okaro White and Aleksandr Scherbenev brought the difference back to 16 points. But Runa had Jeremiah Hill and Danila Pokhodayev , who started the comeback with three-pointers. After an offensive rebound and an Alex Tyus layup, Loko lead finally melted away – 61:58.
Key moment
At the end of the game, the guests managed to regain a double-digit lead after White three-pointer – 74:64.
But the clutch was just beginning. Runa cut the difference to 4 points in 10 seconds. However, the hosts couldn’t do more. White’s block sealed the game. Lokomotiv Kuban finishes the first stage with 19 wins, at least until tomorrow’s CSKA and UNICS game, equaling the Kazan team in wins.
X-factor
The 16-point difference in the first quarter was decisive. Runa managed to win all 3 quarters after that, but it did not allow the Moscow team to equalise the score.
Fact
Maurice Ndour returned to the United League after 5 years – he last played in 2019. The Senegalese bigman became a bronze medalist with UNICS and won the Defensive Player of the Year award. In his debut game, the center got 4 points, 4 rebounds and a block in 14 minutes.
Okaro White had his second-best game in the United League with 24 points (he set a career-high 27 points in December against Enisey).
Vladislav Emchenko repeated Kyrylo Fesenko 6 missed free-throws out of 6 since 2015.
Leaders
Runa: Cameron Young (16), Nikola Ivanovic (15), Juwan Morgan (12 + 6 rebounds), Jeremiah Hill (10), Aleksa Radanov (10)
Lokomotiv Kuban: Okaro White (24 + 8 rebounds), DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (19), Andrey Martiuk (4 + 6 rebounds), Vladislav Emchenko (4 + 6 assists).
What’s next
Runa (11-15): February 9 on the road versus Avtodor
Lokomotiv Kuban (19-7): February 11 on the road against Zenit
