Astana Kazakhstan defeated Tsmoki-Minsk Belarus at home, 77-59 (19-27, 13-6, 25-12, 20-14).
Top Scorers
Astana: Leonidas Kaselakis (16 + 7 reb), Ike Udanoh (14 + 14 reb), Justin Carter (12), Larry Gordon (12)
Tsmoki-Minsk: Devon Saddler (11), Justin Gray (11)
Story
Visiting Minsk scored 27 points in the opening period to lead by eight, but Astana buckled down on defense the rest of the way, limiting the Belarusians to 32 points the rest of the way for a comfortable 77-59 win. Ike Udanoh led the way for the Kazakh club, posting a double-double (14 points and 14 rebounds).
Mikhail Karpenko’s squad improved to 5-10, 8th in the standings. Tsmoki has now lost six in a row and falls to 4-11.
Stat
6 – number of Astana turnovers. Minsk committed twice as many turnovers, 12.
Quotes
Astana head coach Mikhail Karpenko:
– Today was our best crowd of the season. Thank you to the fans. Ahead of March 8, we dedicate this win to the women! Of course, we were anxious to start the game. The break in action had an impact. We weren’t in rhythm. In the first half, we were soft on defense. Once we became more aggressive, the situation changed. We overcame a 15-point deficit and finished the first half tied. During halftime I said we needed to sustain the tempo and be more aggressive. It worked out and I’m thankful to the fans.
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Alexander Krutikov:
– Congratulations to the home team. In the second half, we looked very weak. Astana deserved to win.
Up Next
Astana: March 11 home vs. Khimki
Tsmoki-Minsk: March 11 away vs. PARMA
Images of the Game
