Top Scorers: Pozzecco (15), Wolkowiski (14 + 10 rebounds), Lampe (13), Veremeenko (12 + 12 rebounds), McCarty (10)

The new acquisition for “Loko,” from Khimki, Pavel Podkolzin, was not ready for the Novosibirsk match, while Khimki’s new guard, Alexei Shved, tried out the court and hoops at the Basketball Center on the eve of the game, with the No. 20 jersey. The home team started off the match with their five: Melvin Booker, Valery Fridzon, Kelly McCarty, Vladimir Veremeenko, and Maciej Lampe.

McCarty scored the first points of the match, when the clock was topping two minutes from the tip off. After a response from Krivosheeve, Lampe scored and the visiting team’s coach asked for a minute down time. The Moscow Region Club continued to dominate the court, though it was not evident on the scoreboard, and five minutes into the game Lokomotiv took the lead: 8-5, but not for long. After one and a half minutes,Gian Marco Pozzecco hit the court, taking the lead for his team to 5 points.

The Siberians were forced to ask for a second time out. Alexei and Gian Marco were a boost to the team. In the first quarter 11 Khimki players had had some game time, with the last to be Shved, who, with 3.7 seconds on the clock to the end of the quarter hit the court, and in the into the second quarter racked up a technical-tactical move, which showed at game’s end winning in the battle of the rebounds. He later attempted a shot from the perimeter line, but missed, and topping off 13 minutes, Coach Kemzura called a time out.

The coach was not too happy with the team’s spirit or focus, and though they straightened up a little, the first score for the home team was made 3.36 minutes into the game. For quite some time, their was no chance of increasing this advantage, until 3.06 minutes left on the clock to the end of the quarter Maciej Lampe -punishing the opponents for fouling — took the score, from the line, to 36-26, the first of the players to gain a 10-point lead.

At the end of the first half, Khimki’s players came alive, and went to halftime with a comfortable lead, though the Polish center’s count showed 3 fouls.

The home team started the second half with a good defensive play, but they were essentially checking Shved in the battle, who instead of second dispatcher, was feeling empowered. Booker was on court when Alexei took it to the offense zone, acting according to the circumstances. Nonetheles, it was evident the home team was not up for interruptions, and Kemzura called a time out.

Coming up on the middle of the third quarter only 2 out of 14 3-pointers from the home team made it through. Pozzecco took Booker’s place, while Shved remained a while more on court. The home team coaches tried to improve the team’s motivation, by these changes, but in the third quarter, the so-called “key” was in the Siberian’s hands. All the same, with 1.51 til quarter’s end, Shved opened up his score in the A Division, with some free throws.

In the final quarter things did not change all that much. The home team, were hell-bent on the defense and even in their offense, allowing what they may not have in a more intense match, by tossing from a “solid guard,” some weak fight in the battle for the offense reobounds. But, this did not bother the front line players, racking up “double-doubles” – double scores in two categories of statistics.