CSKA Survives PARMA’s Upset Bid, De Colo Scores 34

CSKA Survives PARMA’s Upset Bid, De Colo Scores 34

CSKA Moscow defeated PARMA Perm at home, 101-94 (23-33, 28-27, 26-14, 24-20).

Top Scorers
CSKA: Nando De Colo (34), Cory Higgins (18)

PARMA: Frank Gaines (18), Codi Miller-McIntyre (16 + 5 reb + 12 ast), Ivan Ukhov (13), Andrejs Grazulis (12)

Story
CSKA overcame torrid shooting by PARMA, needing a career night from Nando De Colo to escape with a 101-94 victory. The visitors shot 12-17 from downtown in the first half and led 60-51 at the break, before CSKA turned the tables with a strong defensive effort in the final 20 minutes.

PARMA never trailed in the first half, racing to a 9-0 lead in the opening minutes.

The visitors were up by as much as 15 in the 2nd quarter, thanks to a triple from Ivan Ukhov, who finished with eight in the period.

PARMA ended the half with a nine-point lead, 60-51.

After another slow start in the 3rd quarter–Frank Gaines scored five quick points to give PARMA a 13-point advantage–CSKA shifted the momentum with a 9-0 run. 

PARMA’s offense went cold, scoring only seven points over the final 8:14. CSKA took advantage, picking up its first lead, 73-71, at the 2:57 mark.

Entering the 4th, the Army Men were ahead 77-74.

Turning Point
After falling behind 81-77 early in the 4th, Nando De Colo stepped up for CSKA. Two triples, 4-4 at the line and an assist on a Cory Higgins 3-pointer put the home team in control, 95-88 with 2:55 remaining. 

PARMA didn’t fold, getting within three points on a pair of free throws from Ivan Ukhov with 47 seconds to go.

Needing a basket to avoid a nervy finish, De Colo delivered again, drilling a mid-range jumper to ice the win. 

CSKA escapes 101-94 to move to 7-0. PARMA drops to 1-5.

Stat
27 – CSKA was bailed out by outstanding free-throw shooting, converting 27 of 30 attempts. PARMA, meanwhile, was only 12-18 at the line. 

Quotes
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis:
– Congratulations to my team on the win. This was our third game this week and we started with poor focus and effort, especially on defense. Our opponent moved the ball well, found open shots, hit them at a high percentage and deserves praise for the first half, when they had all the momentum. In the second half, we were able to lower our visitors’ shooting percentage, both inside and outside the arc. We passed better ourselves and earned the win. Even though it was a tough game, I tried to spread out the playing time, since next week is also packed. I hope PARMA continues to play at this level down the road. They could contend for a playoff spot and, who knows, possibly even make the Final Four.

PARMA head coach Nikolajs Mazurs:
– Overall, the game was a success. Our excellent shooting percentage allowed us to compete until the final minutes. It’s been a long time since we were able to shoot like this. We shot like this in the preseason, but when the season started we started to shoot worse under pressure. I hope this game will give us confidence. We understand that CSKA is playing three games a week and it’s tough on them. Nonetheless, their talent took over in the end. 

Up Next
CSKA: December 4 home vs. Kalev
PARMA: November 18 home vs. Lokomotiv-Kuban

Snapshot

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