09.10.09 | UMMC Cup. Day 1

UMMC (Ekaterinburg) – MKB Euroleasing (Sopron, Hungary) - 83:55
Quarters' results: 28-17, 10-16, 25-10, 20-12

Statistics sheet
UMMC Ekaterinburg – MKB Euroleasing Sopron (HUN)

Before the final match of the first day (UMMC v. «Euroleasing», Hungary) an opening ceremony took place in the Sport Palace «Uralochka». On the monitors mounted in the gym both the teams and fans watched a video about historical stages of «UMMC-Holding» development. After the hospitable speech the main throphy of the tournament – the cup - burst in all its beauty upon the spectators' eyes.

Both teams – UMMC and its last year's Euroleague Bronze final's opponent - «Euroleasing» - rose to the fans' view in renewed strength. The score was not far different from the April's battle result in Salamanca – 80:56, however the content differed. For sure, struggle had been expected in this match – and it happened so.

The teams started equally, but two minutes later Hungarian retinue skidded. To start with the Polish sniper Agnieszka Bibrzycka made a couple of precise distant shots, later the team's «old» players Stepanova, Gruda, Abrosimova, Arteshina and others shut off the air supply to the opponents under the boards. Within this period the guests managed to score mere two points - 22:9.

However Hungarian players didn't want to give up before the ovecrowded tribunes of DIVS. Step by step they equalled the score, and a crasy three-pointer attacked Gundars Vetra wards' basket a second before the half-time - 38:33.

The second half was a real jitters for the guests. The «foxes» demonstrated a good team work and broke the Hungarians' hopes to win as early as in the third ten – 25:10 (63:43). Celine Dumerc worked like a beaver assisting her team-mates. Elena Volkova was accurate from behind the arc, Sandrine Gruda and Ann Wauters pressed the opponents under the boards.

Thus the debut home match of the new basketball season rounded into an expected win for the new-made UMMC team and all the Ural fans – 83:55.

Head Coach of UMMC team Gundars Vetra:
- It will take some time before the new comers adapt and we improve the team work. Our best play we'll show by the New Year.

Head Coach of «Euroleasing» team Norbert Szйkely:
- There's a great difference between our team and UMMC. The composition of UMMC is very strong. As for us, we have a young team, and tonight we have had a new experience. I liked the first half of the match, where we could demonstrate quick and entertaining basketball.
Tomorrow we are to play against the USA National team, which is a defending Olympic champion. It's always a great challenge to play against USA National team and our main task is to find our play. We must try to keep our cool and show a good team work. If we manage to play the way we have done tonight, in spite of the result, I will be satisfied.

In the debut battle of the tournament the USA National team met with Czech «USK» (Prague).
USA-«USK» (Prague, Czech) 100:81
Quarters' results: 24-10, 24-26, 27-22, 25-23

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