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Confident start and tough finish: UMMC defeat Dynamo Novosibirsk at home

Confident start and tough finish: UMMC defeat Dynamo Novosibirsk at home

The Yekaterinburg team showcased a dominant performance in the first two quarters and secured a victory with a score of 84-72 despite a late run from the guests in the FONBET Russian Championship – Premier League game.

Scores by quarter: 33:13, 27:19, 17:20, 7:20

The game began with an accurate long-range shot from Alex Bentley, setting the tone for the first quarter. The Yekaterinburg team quickly established their dominance, and by the middle of the period, the lead had exceeded 20 points. Bentley’s sharp shooting, solid play from Maria Klyundikova in the paint (8 points), and three-pointers from Shilova, Lisec, and Nogic led to a commanding 33:13 score in favor of UMMC.

In the second quarter, the “Foxes” continued to dictate the terms of the game. Zhosselina Maiga attacked confidently both from under the basket and from long range, while Jovana Nogic regularly earned free throws and converted them effectively. In the final seconds, Maiga made a spectacular finish by sinking a three-pointer that fixed the score at 60:32 in favor of the hosts at halftime.

The third quarter began with Megan Walker coming onto the court, immediately contributing to her team’s score. Despite the dominance of UMMC, the Siberian team managed to find their rhythm and even reduced the gap to 25 points. The guests won this segment in terms of points scored, but it had no effect on the overall flow of the game. The quarter ended with a score of 77:52 in favor of the “Foxes.”

The final part of the game was less successful for the hosts. UMMC lost some of their advantage, allowing Dynamo to reduce the deficit to 14 points. However, thanks to a strong lead in the first two quarters, the outcome of the game was already determined. The final victory for Dmitrii Donskov’s team, with a score of 84:72, marked their 13th consecutive win in the Russian championship.

Elena Beglova commented:

“We knew that the team from Novosibirsk was on an emotional high after their recent victory over Dynamo Kursk. The coach prepared us not to relax too soon and to remain focused at all times. We stuck to this approach in the first two quarters. In the second half, each player wanted to make their mark and show their strength because the lead was comfortable. There were “lapses” in defense, and the score narrowed. We will draw conclusions and work on increasing the margin when playing against teams from the lower half of the standings.”    

The top scorer in the squad of UMMC was Zhosselina Maiga with 18 points and 2 rebounds. Alex Bentley scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Maria Klyundikova recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

In the squad of Dynamo Novosibirsk, Annette Kylee Shook had 17 points and 6 rebounds. Karina Levenkova, Daria Goncharova, and Julia Kuzmina each scored 10 points.

UMMC will play the next game in the quarterfinals of the FONBET Russian Cup this Wednesday in Yekaterinburg. The “Foxes” will compete against Enisey from Krasnoyarsk for a spot in the semifinals. The game starts at 19:00.