Lokomotiv gets 20th straight win, advances to Finals

Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar has made it to the 2018 7DAYS EuroCup Finals! Lokomotiv clinched a spot in the EuroCup Finals by downing Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 69-79 on the road in Game 2 of their best-of-three series on Friday. Lokomotiv swept the series and remained undefeated in the competition after 20 games, matching the competition's all-time winning streak, that also belongs to the Russian powerhouse from 2013 to 2015. Mardy Collins led the winners with 22 points and eight rebounds. Frank Elegar added 19 points on 8-of-9 two-point shots and nine rebounds while Joe Ragland had 13 points for Lokomotiv. James White led Reggio Emilia with 14 points. Amedeo Della Valle added 12 while Manu Markoishvili and Garrett Nevels each had 10 for the hosts. Markoishvili allowed Reggio Emilia to get an early lead, 10-4, but Elegar took over late in the first quarter to give Lokomotiv a 15-17 lead after 10 minutes. Elegar and Ragland fueled a 0-11 run that allowed the guests to get a double-digit margin, 26-39, at halftime. James White and Della Valle managed to bring Reggio Emilia within 40-49 late in the third quarter, but Ragland and Collins stepped up to restore a 42-58 Lokomotiv margin after 30 minutes. Reggio Emilia never gave up, but Lokomotiv kept full control of the game until the final buzzer, getting a truly historical win.

Brian Qvale got Lokomotiv going with a layup but a floater by Markoishvili and a dunk by Jalen Reynolds gave Reggio Emilia a 4-2 lead. Leonardo Candi and Markoishvili scored around the basket and a jumper by White boosted the hosts' lead to 10-4. Trevor Lacey sank a couple of jumpers in a 0-6 Lokomotiv run but a layup-plus-foul by Reynolds restored a 13-10 Reggio Emilia lead. Elegar followed a dunk with free throws and added a slam-and-one to put Lokomotiv in charge, 15-17, after 10 minutes. Collins and Candi exchanged driving layups but Qvale soon gave the guests a 17-21 edge. Della Valle hit free throws but a triple by Joe Ragland and a step-back jumper by Collins made Reggio Emilia call timeout at 19-26. Nevels hit a jumper but Ragland answered with a coast-to-coast layup and Elegar added consecutive alleyoop dunks that made it a double-digit game, 21-32. Ragland buried a triple and Collins scored in the low post to cap a 0-11 Lokomotiv run, 21-37. A dunk by White and a three-point play by Julian Wright brought the hosts closer, 26-39, at halftime. Collins and Chris Babb each hit a jumper to make it a 17-point game, 26-43, after the break. Reggio Emilia found a go-to guy in White, who had six quick points and got help from Della Valle to get the hosts a bit closer, 34-46. A 6-0 run that Della Valle capped with a layup brought Reggio Emilia within single digits, 40-49, but Collins and Ragland stepped up to restore a 42-58 Lokomotiv lead after 30 minutes. Nevels struck from downtown early in the fourth quarter but Dmitry Kulagin allowed Lokomotiv to get a 45-63 lead. Nevels stayed on fire, burying a jumper and a triple to make Lokomotiv call timeout, 52-65, with six minutes left. Collins hit another jumper and Elegar followed a layup with a reverse alleyoop dunk that allowed Lokomotiv to seal a great win in style!