In the home game of the FIBA Europe Cup, Tsmoki-Minsk lost to the German club Crailsheim - 72:95 (23:28, 16:32, 18:19, 15:16).
Starting fives
Tsmoki-Minsk: Angelo Warner, Yauheni Beliankou, Jason Clark, Darol Hernandez-Zinenko, Stefan Jankovic.
Crailsheim: Timothy Shorts, Maurice Stuckey, Jaren Lewis, Fabian Bleck, Bogdan Radosavljevic.
Game scenario
Already at the 16th second, Clark put a three, and half a minute later Beliankou also scored from behind the arc - 6:1. However, when in the middle of the period the starters were replaced by the bench players, and the game changed its course - Crailsheim began to recoup. And by the end of the starting quarter, Shorts and Stuckey took the guests ahead - 28:23.
Unfortunately, our team did not succeed in the second period at all. First of all, the defense was lame, it was weak not only against long-range shots by Savage, Harris and Stuckey, but also against the guards’ «takes» under the rim. The guests persistently pushed the Dragons to unequal exchanges and skillfully used the created advantage in anthropometry. In the 18th minute, after a well-aimed Bleck's shot from perimeter, the difference in the score became menacing - 32:60. Moreover, too small amount of points of Tsmoki-Minsk, obtained in the attack, and the excessive number of points missed in defense, were upsetting.
A lot, if not all, could be solved in the 3rd period. Tsmoki-Minsk started it actively, but gradually Crailsheim was managed to bring down the attacking impulse of Dragons, and the game switched to the mode of of mutual scoring.
In the final ten minutes, the Dragons were 22 points behind, that looked like an almost non-recouping option. Moreover, the guests didn’t reduce at all their aggressiveness in defense and accuracy in offense. Our team could have been rescued by the individual exploits of someone of the snipers, but besides Beliankou, there was no one else.
Rostislav Vergun:
First of all, appologize for the effort in front of the crowd. Our fans didn’t deserve this kind of perfomance. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the player who will stand up and play for them. Hard to compete when only 3 players have efficiency over the 10 . The opponent has 120 and we only 70. So three players is not enough.
Scoring leaders
Tsmoki-Minsk: Yauheni Beliankou - 19 PTS + 4 REB, Jason Clark - 17 + 7 REB + 6 AST, Stefan Jankovic - 10 + 4 REB + 1 BLK, Angelo Warner - 9 + 3 REB + 3 AST.
Crailsheim: Timothy Shorts - 20 + 8 AST, Terrell Harris - 12 + 6 AST, Bogdan Radosavljevic - 12 + 5 REB, Maurice Stuckey - 11 + 3 REB.
Next game
In the final round of the group stage of the FIBA Europe Cup Tsmoki-Minsk will host the Danish Bakken Bears on 17 November. The game will take place at the Falcon Club and will start at 19.00.