«Tsmoki-Minsk» Minsk, Belarus vs. «Vita» Tbilisi, Georgia

Tsmoki-Minsk defeated Vita at home on Saturday, 94-74. Solid defense and fast breaks gave the Dragons an early lead. The home team pulled away for good after halftime to secure its first win in Minsk and catch Avtodor and Nizhny Novgorod in the standings.

Recap
Tsmoki-Minsk started the season strong, but a loss in Finland last week dropped the Belarusians out of the playoff zone. Vita, meanwhile, entered with an 0-10 record, in search of its first win.

The 1st quarter flew by. The score was close after 10 minutes with Tsmoki holding a slender 16-15 lead. The biggest concern for Vita was center Konstantin Anikienko's three fouls in the opening period.

During the 2nd quarter, Minsk began attacking more in the paint as well as on the fast break. The home team stayed strong on defense, ramping up the transition game to pull ahead. Young Player of the Month Pierrie Henry kept Vita close, but the visitors still trailed 45-37 at halftime.

During the 3rd quarter, Tsmoki put Vita away for good, holding the Georgians to four points in seven minutes, while scoring 16, to take a 61-41 lead. The Belarusians celebrate their first win at home and improve to 5-4 on the season, now tied for 7th in the standings.

Star Player
Vitaly Liutych. Vita had no answer for Tsmoki's fast breaks, especially when Liutych was involved. He scored 23 points, going 10-12 from the field, and used his athleticism to make several pretty plays.

Stat of the Game
64-24 - the Belarusians outscored Vita by 40 in the paint.

Stats

Snapshot