Ishchenko started the game. Quick counterattacks, in which the Loko guard played an active role, allowed Team Russia to take a 12:6 lead. MBA-MAI player Maxim Barashkov scored 3+1, but Ishchenko responded with an unusual lay-up, making it 14:10 before he was subbed out. Sheyanov entered the game in the 9th minute. He spent 3.5 minutes on the court, notching an offensive rebound. With Team Russia leading 33:28, Ishchenko returned to the court, but only picked up a few fouls in this session. However, when Sheyanov returned to the game with MBA-MAI ahead by 41:37, Ishchenko immediately scored 2 difficult points. Sheyanov soon scored as well, and a little later, he also made a fine block on his namesake, Danil Pevnev. The Russian team went into the long break trailing 45:50.
After the game resumed, Alexander Gudumak, who played for Loko last season, had a strong performance. Thanks to him, MBA-MAI’s lead at one point reached “+11”, 61:50. The Russian team began to attack from beyond the arc more frequently—and more successfully—which allowed them to gradually close the gap. And in the 27th minute, Ishchenko, who had returned to the court, restored the national team’s lead at 64:63. However, MBA-MAI got off to a strong start in the 4th quarter and, within just a couple of minutes, had regained a solid lead to 76:68. Four consecutive points from Ishchenko allowed Team Russia to close within two shots, 79:83, but the Moscow club finished strongly, 81:92, a defeat for the national team.
Ishchenko finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 24 minutes. Sheyanov had 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 blocked shot in 7 minutes.
Photos courtesy of the Russian Basketball Federation