The Cherkasy Monkeys earned a crucial home victory over Rivne with a score of 83:76, forcing a decisive third game in the bronze medal series of Ukraine's Favbet Superleague basketball championship.
Playing at the Budivelnyk Sports Palace in Cherkasy, the hosts established an early lead and maintained control throughout all 40 minutes of the contest. Coach Dmytro Nahornyi's squad built their advantage to as many as 19 points during the game. Although Rivne managed to cut the deficit to a single point after halftime, the Monkeys regrouped to restore a comfortable margin and secure the win.
The Monkeys demonstrated superior shooting efficiency, converting 52% of their two-point attempts and 30% from beyond the arc, while Rivne shot just 40% and 28% respectively in those categories. Cherkasy also capitalized on their opponent's 16 turnovers, scoring 20 points off those mistakes.
According to Statbet analytics, the shooting efficiency differential proved to be the decisive statistical factor in this crucial playoff contest.
Veteran guard Kyrylo Marchenko delivered one of his finest performances of the season for the winners, scoring 23 points while shooting an impressive 5-for-7 from three-point range, finishing with an efficiency rating of 27. Fellow backcourt player Lev Koshevatskyi contributed significantly with 16 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, earning an efficiency rating of 21.
Rivne missed their opportunity to close out the series in game two. The teams will now battle for the bronze medals in the decisive third game, scheduled for May 2nd at 18:00 in Rivne.
In the box score, Cherkasy also received solid contributions from Agafonov (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), Klimov (11 points, 4 steals, 3 assists), and Kleban (8 points, 7 rebounds). For Rivne, Williamson led with 15 points and 5 rebounds, while Brown recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
