First win for Tsmoki Minsk in 2013/14 Eurochallenge

The Belarusian basketball club Tsmoki Minsk won their first game of the 2013 Eurochallenge on 13 November.

In the second Group H encounter in Bulgaria’s Samokov the Dragons overpowered the local club Rilski Sportist Samokov 78:73 (13:24, 22:6, 24:11, 19:32). In the beginning of the match the Bulgarian side took the initiative and won the first quarter 24:13. Some 1,000 spectators at the stands of the stadium in Samokov expected the second quarter to be equally successful for their side but they saw an entirely different game as the Lithuanian manager Donaldas Kairys’ side won 22:6 and were five points ahead before the big break. In the third quarter Tsmoki Minsk also played well but in the fourth they seemed to have lost concentration and 19 seconds before the end of the game they led only by three points 76:73. However, the Minsk club managed to score two more points and snatch such an important victory. Tsmoki Minsk’s Vincent Hunter, of the U.S., scored 24 points while his compatriot Demonte Harper earned 18 points.

In the first match of qualifying Group H Tsmoki Minsk were narrowly defeated by Romania’s BC Mures 79:83 (24:17, 18:27, 19:15, 18:24). In tour 1 of the Eurochallenge Rilski Sportist Samokov lost in the away game to Hungary’s Szolnoki Olaj KK 66:73. In the second tour Szolnoki Olaj KK defeated BC Mures 85:72 away.

The Group H standings after two tours are as follows: Szolnoki Olaj KK 4 points, BC Mures 3 points, Tsmoki Minsk 3 points and Rilski Sportist Samokov 2 points.

Tsmoki Minsk are to play four more games in the first group round of the Eurochallenge:

Two best-placed teams from eight qualifying groups will enter the second group round where they will be drawn into four groups. These matches are scheduled for January-February 2014. The winners of the four groups enter the playoff of the Eurochallenge.

Last season Tsmoki Minsk managed to get out of the first group round for the first time in their history but later they failed to advance to the playoff round. The Eurochallenge is the third most important European basketball club tournament.