«Tsmoki-Minsk» Minsk, Belarus vs. «Bisons» Loimaa, Finland

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Highlights

Tsmoki-Minsk Crushes Visiting Bisons

Tsmoki-Minsk defeated Bisons at home, 119-83. Minsk took control early, scoring 34 in the opening period. Leading by six at halftime, the home team dominated the second half, outscoring Bisons by 30 for a team-record 36-point win.

Recap
Tsmoki-Minsk has struggled at home this season, but set the tone early vs. Bisons, scoring 20 points in the first five minutes. Tsmoki star Justin Gray didn't score much himself, instead feeding Garrett Stutz and Anthony Hilliard, who combined for 34 points in the first half.

Unable to solve Tsmoki's offense, Bisons were forced to play catch-up from the perimeter. Four straight 3's to open the 2nd quarter briefly made it close. Down as much as 13 in the 1st quarter, Greg Gibson's club only trailed by six at halftime.

Josh Sparks had a big first half for Bisons, but he struggled in the second half and the team stopped connecting from range. Tsmoki took advantage, pulling ahead by 20 late in the 3rd quarter.

The beatdown continued in the 4th quarter, with Minsk setting a new club record for points in the league to win, 119-83.

Star Player
Anthony Hilliard. The American guard outshone his teammates, finishing with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Stat of the Game
119 - number of points scored by Tsmoki-Minsk. That's a new record for the Belarusian club.

Quotes
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Igor Grishchuk:
- Congratulations to the guys and the fans of the club on a historic win. We've never won eight games in the VTB United League regular season before. It's really nice to be a part of history. If I'm honest, I was a little worried about the outcome of this game. When your opponent has to replace its leaders with reserves, you don't know what to expect. But my guys took a very disciplined approach, demonstrated professionalism and secured a good result.

Bisons head coach Greg Gibson:
- Congratulations to Minsk on a deserved win and impressive performance. Nonetheless, I want to say thanks to my guys. Despite the tough personnel position we're in, our guys played for the team's pride. Eight players left the team and the new additions haven't been able to get on the same page yet.

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