CSKA lost the first friendly game of the season. The same as in the game against Khimki-2 the players of the main line-up played mostly in the first two quarters of the game. The younger players had a chance to show their best for all the last quarter long. Plus, Matjaz Smodis did not take part in the game at all.
Benetton vs CSKA: 86-79 (23-20, 23-23, 16-19, 24-17)
CSKA: Andersen (15 + 4 reb), Dyachok (11 + 3 reb), Vyaltsev (11 + 2 as), Kurbanov (9 + 3 reb), Langdon (8 + 4 as), Bashminov (6 + 3 reb), Panov (6), Zavoruev (5 + 2 as), Shabalkin (4 + 7 reb), Lamma (4 + 4 reb), Sheleketo (0).
Despite the loss, CSKA head coach Ettore Messina was not disappointed. ‘It took us less then a quarter to catch the rhythm of the game, - says the coach. – It is a great result for first game with a strong rival in a season. We had some good actions in the 2nd and in the 3rd quarter and showed good team game. So I am satisfied with the game in this way. Defensively we played a bit worse. Some of the young players did not show any good performance on this side. So we have to work on it.’
CSKA would meet Benetton once more on Saturday night. This time it is going to be the official game.
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