Superleague Round 1 (Regular Season): Volyn loses to Kyiv Basket

The Regular Season in Superleague just started. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Volyn in Lutsk on Thursday night. Hosts were defeated by Kyiv Basket 89-82. Kyiv Basket forced 21 Volyn turnovers. Strangely Volyn outrebounded Kyiv Basket 41-24 including a 26-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. American guard Javion May (188-1999, college: SHSU) fired 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. His fellow American import point guard Cam Clardy (183, college: Sul Ross St.) chipped in 21 points and 4 assists. Kyiv Basket's coach Valeriy Plehanov used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American forward Taj Thweatt (201-2001, college: Coppin St.) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds for lost side.
Another exciting game was between Kyiv Basket and Rivne where Kyiv Basket beat Rivne on the road 79-70. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Ilya Kabatsiura (198-1996) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Cam Clardy contributed with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Guard Vitaliy Bykov (190-1996) answered with 22 points for Rivne. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest.
An interesting game was played in Ivano-Frankivsk where Zaporizhye crushed host Hoverla with 25-point difference 95-70 on Friday evening. Josiah Johnson stepped up and scored 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. At the losing side Sergiy Startsev responded with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.

Other games of round 1 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
winless K.Sokoly was defeated by Rivne in a road game 93-81. Bottom-ranked Volyn beat K.Sokoly at home 88-86. Dnipro won against Khmelnytskyi on the opponent's court 83-67. Niko Basket lost to Cherkasy in a home game 71-89. Dnipro managed to beat Hoverla on the road 84-70. Khmelnytskyi defeated Zaporizhye on its own court 75-72.
The best stats of 1st round was 23 points and 7 assists by Luqman Lundy of Khmelnytskyi.



Volyn - Kyiv Basket 82-89:
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Volyn in Lutsk on Thursday night. Hosts were defeated by Kyiv Basket 89-82. Kyiv Basket forced 21 Volyn turnovers. Strangely Volyn outrebounded Kyiv Basket 41-24 including a 26-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. American guard Javion May (188-1999, college: SHSU) fired 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. His fellow American import point guard Cam Clardy (183, college: Sul Ross St.) chipped in 21 points and 4 assists. Kyiv Basket's coach Valeriy Plehanov used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American forward Taj Thweatt (201-2001, college: Coppin St.) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds and Nazar Korol (191-2006) added 20 points respectively for lost side. Five Volyn players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Kyiv Basket: C.Clardy 21+1reb+4ast, M.Javion 20+7reb+4ast, K.Ilya 19+4reb, H.Eddie 7+2reb+1ast, M.Danylo 6+2reb+1ast, R.Kolawole 6+1reb+1ast
Volyn: N.Korol 20+4reb+1ast, I.Klimov 16+4reb+3ast, T.Thweatt 13+14reb+2ast, K.Rostyslav 12+1reb, M.Nikitin 12+10reb+2ast, B.Mykyta 7+5reb+1ast

Rivne - K.Sokoly 93-81:
Rivne used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Kharkiv 93-81 on Thursday night. The hosts trailed by 3 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 93-81. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Rivne made 7 blocks. Center Dmytro Trykolenko (207-2003) stepped up and scored 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for the winners and guard Vitaliy Bykov (190-1996) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. Four Rivne players scored in double figures. Rivne's coach Mikhail Pereverziy allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. At the losing side guard Artem Romanytsia (191-2006) responded with 19 points and 8 rebounds and international point guard Yehor Sushkin (188-2006) scored 18 points.
Top scorers:
Rivne: D.Trykolenko 20+6reb+1ast, V.Bykov 18+2reb+4ast, D.Tymoshchuk 17+2reb+3ast, J.Demarius 14+3reb+3ast, S.Dannie 9+6reb+3ast, V.Sheptytskyi 7+5reb+1ast
K.Sokoly: R.Artem 19+8reb+3ast, Y.Sushkin 18+2reb+2ast, M.Bezyma 17+2reb, D.Kleban 8+6reb+1ast, K.Andriy 8+7ast, I.Lishchyna 7+2reb

Rivne - Kyiv Basket 70-79:
Another exciting game was between Kyiv Basket and Rivne where Kyiv Basket beat Rivne on the road 79-70. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Rivne won third quarter 19-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Rivne was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Ilya Kabatsiura (198-1996) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. American point guard Cam Clardy (183, college: Sul Ross St.) contributed with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Four Kyiv Basket players scored in double figures. Guard Vitaliy Bykov (190-1996) answered with 22 points and center Dmytro Trykolenko (207-2003) added 12 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Rivne. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest.
Top scorers:
Kyiv Basket: K.Ilya 15+10reb+4ast, L.Dmytro 14+5reb, C.Clardy 12+6reb+5ast, H.Eddie 11+4reb+1ast, B.Andrii 9+1reb, M.Javion 8+5reb+1ast
Rivne: B.Vitaliy 22+2reb+2ast, T.Dmytro 12+6reb+1ast, D.Smith 11+5reb+1ast, R.Serhii 8+2reb+1ast, D.Jacobs 7+4reb+1ast, S.Valentyn 6+4reb+2ast

Volyn - K.Sokoly 88-86:
Volyn used a home court advantage and edged the opponent from Kharkiv 88-86 on Friday night. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 26-18 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Guard Igor Klimov (190-2001, agency: BIG) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 assists for the winners and American forward Taj Thweatt (201-2001, college: Coppin St.) chipped in 17 points and 11 rebounds. At the losing side point guard Andriy Khokhonyk (188-1997) responded with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and international point guard Yehor Sushkin (188-2006) scored 23 points and 4 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Volyn: K.Igor 20+4reb+10ast, T.Taj 17+11reb, N.Maxim 14+4reb, K.Nazar 13+2reb+1ast, O.Tretiak 7, M.Bezyma 6+6reb
K.Sokoly: K.Andriy 24+7reb+5ast, Y.Sushkin 23+4reb+4ast, D.Kleban 16+8reb, O.Solovyov 10+2reb+1ast, M.Sandul 6+6reb+2ast, R.Artem 4+4reb

Hoverla - Zaporizhye 70-95:
An interesting game was played in Ivano-Frankivsk where Zaporizhye crushed host Hoverla with 25-point difference 95-70 on Friday evening. The game without a history. Zaporizhye led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 23-of-30 free shots (76.7 percent) during the game. American guard Josiah Johnson (185-2001, college: UMHB) stepped up and scored 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and forward Vladislav Nikolaichuk (200-2004) chipped in 19 points and 8 rebounds. Four Zaporizhye players scored in double figures. At the losing side point guard Sergiy Startsev (190-1997, agency: BIG) responded with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and American forward Raylon Howard (193-1998, college: St.Mary's, KS) scored 17 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Zaporizhye: J.Josiah 20+5reb+2ast, I.Jonathan 20+4reb, V.Nikolaichuk 19+8reb, P.Julian 12+8reb+2ast, D.Martynov 9+2reb+1ast, P.Oleksandr 7+2reb
Hoverla: R.Howard 17+3reb+2ast, S.Startsev 14+6reb+5ast, R.Morozov 10+6reb, L.Stepan 9+3reb, I.Chugunov 8+3reb, V.Drozdov 6+2ast

Khmelnytskyi - Dnipro 67-83:
But Khmelnytskyi was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Dnipro 83-67 on Friday night. The game without a history. Dnipro led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Khmelnytskyi's 30. They outrebounded Khmelnytskyi 45-20 including a 31-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. The former international forward Stanislav Tymofeienko (205-1989) stepped up and scored 20 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and international power forward Daniil Sypalo (211-2005) chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds. Four Dnipro players scored in double figures. At the losing side American Derick Newton (198-1995, college: Stetson) responded with 23 points (made all of his eight free throws) and the other American import guard Luqman Lundy (193-1996, college: Bradley, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) scored 8 points and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest.
Top scorers:
Dnipro: T.Stanislav 20+7reb+3ast, S.Daniil 14+9reb+1ast, M.Zakurdaiev 14+5reb+2ast, Z.Serhii 10+6reb+1ast, K.Volodymyr 9+6reb+3ast, S.Yevhenii 9+4reb+1ast
Khmelnytskyi: D.Newton 23+3reb, P.Roman 11, M.Vladislav 8+4reb, L.Lundy 8+2reb+4ast, B.Nikolay 6+1reb+3ast, D.Lypovtsev 3+2reb+2ast

Niko Basket - Cherkasy 71-89:
But Niko Basket was not able to use a home court advantage and lost to the opponent from Cherkasy 89-71 on Saturday night. The guests trailed by 3 points at the halftime before their 51-30 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Cherkasy made 17-of-20 free shots (85.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American point guard Jordon Talley (185-1995, college: UNCW, agency: BIG) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 assists for the winners and forward Yevgen Korovyakov (199-1988, agency: BIG) chipped in 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Cherkasy players scored in double figures. At the losing side forward Yaroslav Karpiuk (201-2003) responded with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 15 rebounds and guard Bogdan Lukian (183-1999) scored 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest.
Top scorers:
Cherkasy: K.Yevgen 18+9reb+4ast, T.Jordon 17+4reb+11ast, M.Kyrylo 16+2reb+3ast, T.Bohdan 16+2reb, U.Illia 7+2reb+3ast, G.Maxim 7+7reb
Niko Basket: K.Yaroslav 18+15reb+1ast, B.Lukian 15+6reb+5ast, J.Simpson 15+6reb, V.Vitaliy 9, S.Maksym 6+2reb, V.Artem 3+4reb

Hoverla - Dnipro 70-84:
Not a big story in a game in Ivano-Frankivsk where Hoverla was defeated by Dnipro 84-70 on Sunday. The guests trailed by 2 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 6-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 84-70. Dnipro made 27-of-31 free shots (87.1 percent) during the game. Dnipro outrebounded Hoverla 32-21 including 23 on the defensive glass. Forward Artem Smitiukh (198-2004) stepped up and scored 16 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and point guard Maksym Zakurdaiev (196-1993) chipped in 16 points. Five Dnipro players scored in double figures. At the losing side point guard Sergiy Startsev (190-1997, agency: BIG) responded with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and American forward Raylon Howard (193-1998, college: St.Mary's, KS) scored 15 points and 5 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest.
Top scorers:
Dnipro: M.Zakurdaiev 16+2reb+3ast, A.Smitiukh 16+6reb, S.Daniil 12+7reb+2ast, T.Stanislav 12+4reb, K.Volodymyr 11+3reb+4ast, Z.Serhii 5+5reb
Hoverla: S.Startsev 16+6reb+7ast, R.Morozov 15+1ast, R.Howard 15+2reb+5ast, L.Stepan 9+6reb+2ast, D.Oleksandr 6+2reb+1ast, V.Drozdov 4+2reb

Khmelnytskyi - Zaporizhye 75-72:
There was a surprise result when Khmelnytskyi edged at home Zaporizhye 75-72 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 5 points after three quarters before their 19-11 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Zaporizhye outrebounded Khmelnytskyi 54-33 including a 29-11 advantage in offensive rebounds. American guard Luqman Lundy (193-1996, college: Bradley, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) stepped up and scored 23 points and 7 assists for the winners and his fellow American import Derick Newton (198-1995, college: Stetson) chipped in 19 points and 6 rebounds. Worth to mention Lundy played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped get the job in pro basketball. At the losing side American Julian Powell (206-1996, college: Lincoln) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds and forward Vladislav Nikolaichuk (200-2004) scored 14 points and 8 rebounds. Four Zaporizhye players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Khmelnytskyi: L.Luqman 23+3reb+7ast, N.Derick 19+6reb+3ast, N.Bachurin 10+2reb+1ast, R.Potieev 7+1reb, Z.Loveday 6+13reb, L.Dmitry 5+3reb+1ast
Zaporizhye: M.Dmitry 17+4reb, J.Ileleji 15+4reb+1ast, N.Vladislav 14+8reb+1ast, J.Powell 12+14reb+1ast, A.Buts 6+16reb, J.Johnson 4+4reb+3ast