Wright shoots Lokomotiv to big win over Arka

Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar rode a fabulous fourth quarter to defeat Arka Gdynia 96-72 and improve to 5-1. The game was finely poised after three quarters but then a 16-0 spurt saw Lokomotiv take command, with 13 of those points coming from the previously scoreless Dorell Wright. Wright ended up top scoring with 19 points, all of them in the last ten minutes. The home team, under the leadership of interim coach Vladimir Jovanovic, also had 16 points and 7 rebounds from JaJuan Johnson, while Trevor Lacey combined 12 points with 5 assists and Jamel McLean registered 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Arka, which drops to 1-5, was paced by 18 points apiece for Marcel Ponitka and Josh Bostic, while Robert Upshaw had 15 points and 9 rebounds.

Lokomotiv dominated the opening stages behind Mateusz Ponitka and Johnson, who combined for 11 of the points in an early 13-9 lead. A three-point play from McLean made it 19-12 midway through the first, but a pair of triples from Bostic – who scored 11 points in the first quarter – pulled Arka back. The second quarter was lower scoring and finely matched until Loko launched a 7-0 run, featuring 5 points from Dmitry Kulagin, to go ahead 40-30. A big dunk and one from Upshaw plus Bostic’s fourth triple reignited Arka, and a four-point play from Bostic made it 42-40. A deep three by Lacey gave Loko a 48-42 edge at the break, and in a slow-scoring start to the second half 5 points from Dmitry Khvostov protected the home team’s lead. An alley-oop and mid-range jumper from Johnson helped make it 62-58 after three quarters, and Wright got hot with three consecutive baskets followed by a triple from Lacey for a 72-60 edge. Wright knocked down two more strikes from deep to put the outcome beyond doubt, but he still wasn’t finished with two more triples and Lokomotiv cruised the rest of the way.

Wright goes crazy to seal win

Dorell Wright had a quiet first three quarters, but he then embarked upon a crazy passage of play that was far from exceptionally noisy…he scored three consecutive baskets in just 48 seconds, and went on to register 19 points in the space of five minutes, including 5-of-5 three-pointers, having previously not scored at all.

Bostic’s first half heroics

Arka’s challenge was notable for an early scoring spree for Bostic which was nearly as impressive as Wright’s. Bostic scored 11 points in the first quarter and netted five three-pointers before the interval on his way to 18 points. But he didn’t score again in the second half.

Battle of brothers goes to younger Ponitka

The game featured two brothers going head to head as Lokomotiv’s Mateusz Ponitka faced Arka’s Marcel, four years younger. And although his team lost the game, Marcel was the clear winner of the personal family battle, scoring 18 points and dishing 6 assists. Mateusz combined 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.

Next round

Lokomotiv will attempt to take another step towards the next stage with a trip to Limoges CSP, and Arka is back at home to face Tofas Bursa.