Cherkasy Monkeys claimed the bronze medal in the Ukrainian Superliga Favbet after defeating Rivne 80:74 in the decisive third game of the playoff series. The victory on Rivne's home court gave Cherkasy a 2-1 series win and secured them third place in the national championship.
The visitors established control early, making a decisive run midway through the first quarter that propelled them to a commanding 17-point advantage. Coach Dmytro Nahornyi's squad maintained their lead throughout the entire contest, keeping Rivne at a double-digit distance until the fourth quarter. The hosts mounted a late comeback in the final period, narrowing the gap to just three points, but couldn't complete the rally as the Monkeys held firm to secure the win.
Superior shooting efficiency proved to be the crucial factor for Cherkasy, who converted an impressive 66% of their two-point attempts and 35% from beyond the arc. These strong percentages helped overcome their disadvantages in turnovers and rebounding.
Center Andrii Agafonov delivered a standout performance for the bronze medalists with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists for an efficiency rating of 23. According to Statbet, Agafonov's performance in this series finale ranks among the most efficient in Ukrainian playoff games this season. Igor Klimov also made significant contributions with 17 points.
For Rivne, Oleksii Solovyov matched Agafonov's 19 points, while CJ Williamson added 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the losing effort. Brown contributed a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the home team.
The victory caps off a successful playoff run for Cherkasy, who secured their place on the podium after navigating the best-of-three series against a determined Rivne squad.
