The fever breaks

The fever breaks22 february 2007

The two clubs facing off in the match played on National Soviet Army Day, which will affect the standings for positions in the playoffs, are coached by foreigners. In the first “Lithuanian Derby,” which coincidentally happened to be the “Moscow Region Derby” (the Dynamo MR Coach is also Lithuanian, facing off against each other in the Moscow Region Derby’s Khimki vs. Dynamo MR match), Coach Kestutis Kemzura won. On Friday, Kemzura will lead his boys in the match against UNICS, culminating BC Khimki’s “February Fever.”

The clubs faced off in these past years in all possible tournaments, during regular stages, and in the race for the medals of the Russian Championship (in the final “consolation rounds” of 2002/03 y 2004/05 both the Moscow Region Club and Kazan wrestled for the bronze), in the National Cup, and in the Quarter Finals of the FIBA Euro League. During the next to the last season the clubs played each other in 10 games.

After the 108-106 close victory in the first game for points (the fifth for the BC Khimki in the elite division), the Moscow Region Club lost to the capital city of Tatarstan club in the 21st consecutive game. Nonetheless, since then Khimki and UNICS have played on an even par.

BC Khimki’s Head Coach, Kestutis KEMZURA, is certain the upcoming match will be important for the positioning on the tournament’s rankings. The Moscow Region Club has not lost their focus on winning a place in the standings. According to the final results, which are higher than the Kazan Club… although this is not entirely up to Khimki.

— The match against UNICS will be difficult. I don’t think it is easy to predict the result, but I can say it will be an interesting match. It’s always a challenge to play against a team led by Sireika. I worked with this coach and with the entire coaching staff of the Kazan Club.

So, then the coaches from the teams won’t be giving each other any great surprises?

— It seems not. But UNICS had a lot of time to prepare for this match, while we were playing against the clock. It is difficult to say which is better, to play a relaxed training match, or have the players face off in challenging games. This match will be intense. Ahead of us we have the goal to win. Now, picking up the 8-point disadvantage after the match in Kazan… is not worth wondering over.

Meet the Opponent

Kazan’s UNICS was founded in 1991, and started its career in the First Russian Championship League, gradually climbing the basketball hierarchy to the A Division in 1997, the same year BC Khimki was founded, taking all of two years to reach the elite division.

Kazan’s Track Record:

1996/97 season, UNICS started playing the European Cups (twice in the Korac Cup, six times in the main FIBA Euro Cup, twice in the ULEB Cup).

1998, 99: 5th place in the Russian Championship
2000, 2003 and 2005 garnered a bronze
2001, 2002, and 2004, silver medal in the Russian Championship.
2000, 01, 02, 04, 2nd place Super League
2003 and 2005, 3rd place Super League
2003/04 season, UNICS won the FIBA Euro League (though the subsequent year they were unable to repeat this victory, when cut down by BC Khimki in the Quarter Finals).

2002/03 season the club conquered the Euro League Cup Northern Conference, and the Russian Cup
2005, finalist in the Russian Cup.

For six years, the team was headed by the renown master sportsman and laureate coach from Russia, Stanislav Eremin. Beginning June 2006, the team was coached by the renown Lithuanian, Antanas Sireika. There has naturally been changed in the team roster, with 12 modifications during the preseason and the season.

Over the years UNICS sent to the National Team such greats at the late Alexander Petrenko, Ruslán Avleev, Evgeny Pashutin, Valentin Kubrakov, Petr Samoylenko, Antón Yudin, and Igor Kudelin. UNICS’ Eurelius Zhukaukas was the 2003 champoin in the Lithuanian National Team, and the current player for the team, Saulius Stombergas, is the most celebrated membe of the club. In 2003, construction on the Basketball Palace in Kazán began, the biggest in all of Russia, with a 7500-seating capacity.

UNICS TEAM

4	Jarod Stevenson	Forward	1975	200
6	Alexander Miloserdov	Guard	1980	193
7	Darius Lavrinovic	Center	1979	212
8	Saulius Stombergas	Forward	1973	202
9	Petr Samoylenko	Guard	1977	185
10	Vadim Panin	Guard	1984	202
12	Ksystof Lavrinovic	Center	1979	210
15	Sergey Chikalkin	Guard	1975	196
20	Dmitry Sokolov	Center	1985	214
21	Konstantin Nesterov	Forward	1981	202
23	Román Khamitov	Guard	1984	199
24	Jamal McCallough	Guard	1973	179
25	Alexei Zhukanenko	Forward	1986	210
30	Dusko Savanovic	Forward	1983	204
55	Egor Mezcheryakov	Forward	1976	205