Samara defeated Enisey in the first game of the season – 83:63 (17:11, 23:19, 20:16, 23:17).
Game progress
The teams started the game with mistakes. Buy then, Aleksandr Gudumak and Nikola Rebic three-pointers allowed the hosts to take the lead. The key moment of the first half was a highlight reel performance by Yuri Umrikhin. The guard scored 7 points in a row at the start of the second quarter, after which Samara lead became double-digit – 26-13.
A timeout by Enisey head coach Jovica Arsic managed to shake up the Siberian team a bit. But the effect was short-lived. Samara looked stronger than their opponent for most of the first half and deservedly went into the break with a comfortable lead – 40:30.
Key moment
Jeremiah Martin bright play allowed Enisey to keep the game intriguing for a while. But the Siberians team margin ran out in the middle of the final quarter. Three long-range shots from Justin Roberson and Aleksandr Gudumak (twice) had started another hosts run. Samara lead reached 19 points – 71:52, which allowed the Volga team to calmly take the game to an end.
Fact
Samara head coach Drazen Anzulovic started his path in the Volga team with a confident win over his former club. Five of the hosts players (Aleksandr Gudumak, Nikola Rebic, James Thompson, Mikhail Kulagin, Ivan Viktorov) once played for Enisey. Three of them (Thompson, Rebic and Gudumak) was in the starting five.
Key factor
Yuri Umrikhin became one of the main discoveries of this game. In the second quarter, the guard had an impactful stretch. In less than a minute he scored 7 points and made Samara lead double-digit. All in all, Umrikhin made 4 of 5 shots from the game, scored 9 points, made 3 assists and 3 steals, and was the best in plus-minus – +24.
Leaders
Samara: Aleksandr Gudumak (13), Dalton Hayden (12 + 6 rebounds), Javontae Hawkins (12), Justin Roberson (12), Nikola Rebic (10).
Enisey: Xavier Rathan-Mays (22), Jeremiah Martin (20).
Next game
Samara: October 5 at home against Zenit
Enisey: October 3 on the road against CSKA
