VEF Riga, Latvia vs. «Tsmoki-Minsk» Minsk, Belarus

Tsmoki-Minsk earned another road win on Thursday, defeating VEF in Riga, 84-76. The game featured a quick tempo and little defense as Tsmoki pulled away in the 3rd quarter to record its third win.

Recap
Both teams had momentum entering this game. VEF was coming off its first win of the season, while Tsmoki had started 2-1, its only blemish a narrow defeat to Zenit.

From the start, both teams pushed the tempo and didn't bother much with halfcourt offense. Tsmoki guard Anthony Hilliard had the biggest impact, scoring eight points in the 1st quarter to lead his team to a 17-12 lead.

Justin Gray and Ivan Maras also got hot in the 2nd quarter, staking Tsmoki to a 48-32 advantage at halftime. Maras scored nine points in the period, including a deep '3' that banked in off the backboard.

VEF scored the first four points of the second half, but the 12-point deficit was as close as the home team would get until late in the 4th quarter. Garrett Stutz led the visitors on another run, pushing the lead to as much as 24 with 2:48 left in the 3rd quarter.

Despite a 26-15 advantage for VEF in the final period, Tsmoki-Minsk won comfortably, moving into a tie for 3rd place with Khimki, Nizhny Novgorod and Nymburk.

Star of the Game
Anthony Hilliard. VEF couldn't stop Tsmoki's offense and Hilliard in particular. The American guard scored 14 points in the first half (27 total), helping Tsmoki win this game with ease.

Stat of the Game
35. VEF's three-point field-goal percentage. Riga fired up 34 shots from the perimeter (only 30 from inside the arc), but made only 12.

Stats