The captain and center position for BC Khimki, Rubén WOLKOWISIKI -and most effective player in the match against Primorie (23 points that nonetheless did not help the visiting team in October) — is sure his team will win a rematch. He will put all his efforts into winning this objective. Moreover, after the first stage is over, the results for each match are all the more weighty.


— We know that Spartak Primorie is in the category of the “home teams,” although winning 3 victories as visiting team. I remember the Vladivostok game well; the flight tired us so much that nobody had enough strength for the second half, which by all measures we were supposed to win. The last basket was made by a player who I had face to face, Stanescu, and I was unable to make a decisive 3-pointer. So, this is something pending, for me and the whole team. Moreover, this match is more than just a rematch -not only for the team morale — but every victory (or defeat) can allow us, or not, to gain a more comfortable position in the tournament playoffs.

Meet the opponent

Primorie’s path towards national basketball’s elite class was a long journey. Until its appearance last year in the A Division, the club from the capital city of Primorie participated in Higher League USSR Championships only once, 20 years ago. The team, which up until 2003 was known as Spartak VGUES, was reborn in 1999, thanks to the support of the Directorate of the Municipal Administration and the city itself. For four and a half years, and up until then, on the Russian banks of the Japan Sea there was no official basketball to be heard of. The team (know up until then as Shakhter) hit the court in 1995, and later faded away due to financial woes.

For the 1999/2000 season, the team won in the Far East Championship, allowing the team to rise to the ranks of the First League, Northwestern Division. At that time, Khimki-2 and Primorie faced off in two matches. Spartak won in the Northwest and were happy to earn the fourth position. Later, financial difficulties forced the team to spend the next season in the Far Eastern Federal District.

The year of introspection for Spartak came in 2002, when it garnered financial support and took a step towards the Higher League of the Russian Championship. Second place gave them the right to rise to the B Division. The team was only one victory short of making the top three winners.

Their new goal was to win first place in the Super League B, prompting them to take in several players and Audrey Kibenko as coach. Spartak Primorie won in the Super League B, beating all four games with Khimki-2.

Their debut in the A Division was not at all bad last season, having reinforced their roster. Nonetheless, they were weakened somewhat, which forced them to make some changes in their ranks. In the preseason, two national greats led the team: Sergey Babkov and Mikhail Mikhailov, who had to make some serious changes again to the roster. Andrey Tsypatchev and Roman Levter from Khimki, along with the German Bamberg Club’s Derrick Phelps, Victor Keyrou and Virgill Stanescu (from St. Petersburg), CSKA-2s Evgeni Kolesnikov, and Metallurg’s Sergey Goriachev consolidated their roster.

Spartak Primorie

4	Kolesnikov Evgeny	Guard	1985	193	Russia
5	Sepelev Andrey	Forward	1973	204	Russia
9	Sukhorukov Nikolay	Forward	1981	198	Russia
10	Bulganin Román	Center	1979	208	Russia
11	Tsypatchev Andrey	Forward	1979	203	Russia
14	Soloviev Danill	Center	1987	210	Russia
15	Polischuk Evgeny	Forward	1980	197	Russia
20	Goriachev Sergey	Guard	1984	198	Russia
22	Phelps Derrick	Guard	1972	192	USA
23	Keyrou Víctor	Guard	1984	200	Russia
24	Levter Román	Forward	1986	209	Russia
31	Stanescu Virgill	Center	1977	208	Rumania
88	Deane Willie	Guard	1980	186	USA
	Gordeev Dmitry	Forward	1989	195	Russia
	Samoylov Kirill	Forward	1989	196	Russia

Head Coach: Sergey Babkov
Asst. Coaches: Mikhail Mikhailov, Vladimir Pevnev