In a decisive Game 3 of the Ukrainian Superleague bronze medal series, Cherkassy Monkeys prevailed over the hometown Rivne 80-74, clinching the third-place finish in this season's competition.
The visitors established dominance early in the contest, building a commanding 17-point advantage during the first quarter. Coach Dmitry Nagorny's squad maintained control throughout most of the game, keeping Rivne at a double-digit distance until the final period.
Despite trailing substantially, the hosts mounted an impressive comeback in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to just three points and energizing the home crowd at DYUSSH-4 gym. However, the Monkeys weathered the storm, steadied their performance, and secured the victory.
Center Andrei Agafonov delivered a standout performance for the bronze medalists, accumulating 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists for an efficiency rating of 23. Igor Klimov also made significant contributions with 17 points, while Roman Pirogov added 11 points off the bench.
For Rivne, Alexey Solovyev matched Agafonov's 19-point output, while CJ Williamson showcased his all-around skills with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Daniel Brown contributed a double-double effort with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the losing cause.
The quarter-by-quarter breakdown showed Cherkassy's early dominance (23-9 after the first period), with balanced middle quarters (19-19, 23-20) before Rivne's spirited but ultimately insufficient 26-15 fourth-quarter rally.
Basketball analysts at Statbet have highlighted the importance of strong starts in playoff basketball, noting that teams winning the first quarter in elimination games go on to win approximately 68% of such contests.
With this victory, Cherkassy Monkeys take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-three series, securing the bronze medal in the Ukrainian Superleague for the 2023-2024 season.
