Source: youtube.com
Valentyn Sheptytskyi, forward for Rivne, expressed his gratitude to the fans after the match, saying, “I want to sincerely thank the supporters. They pushed us forward with incredible energy. Words can’t describe how amazing and atmospheric it was. Thank you all. We believe we can compete with any team, whether they are favorites or not. Currently, we face some challenges. Ponosov was sidelined for today’s game, and during the match, Tymoshchuk also went out. We have rotation issues with our fifth players: Trykolenko and Jacobs both fouled out with five fouls each. We’re holding on, but it’s a bit tight. As our coach said, it’s nothing serious—just experience. Our priority is to keep working, improve what’s needed, and prepare for upcoming matches.”
Denys Spyridonov, head coach of Rivne, thanked the fans for their support, noting, “Thanks to them, we managed to get back into the game through their energy. What we lacked most was freshness and experience. These are key factors. I want to congratulate Kyiv-Basket on a well-deserved victory. They defended the ball very well today and caused us problems with playmaking and organization. We had limited time to prepare, but that’s just an excuse—our opponents had the same. We tried to coordinate some aspects, but that’s not something you fix in a day. Everyone was under the same conditions, so I congratulate them on a deserved win.”
He added, “In the second quarter, we lost Dmytro Tymoshchuk after a contact incident. The last two rounds have been very physical. He took a foul in offense, I believe by Kolavole, fell on his back, and got injured. We hope he’ll return in a week. Our doctor will work miracles. Ponosov suffered a bruise and underwent an examination. Thankfully, everything is fine. We have some rest days now to recover. Tymoshchuk will see the doctor tomorrow for a final verdict. Our next game is against Volyn in Rivne. Fans will come anyway—they love and support us—but I invite everyone to come and cheer us on. Your support is key to our good performance. We’re waiting for you.”
Eddie Hunt, center for Kyiv-Basket, admitted, “We started very slowly today. We’re a fast-paced team, and if we listen to the coach, the picture would be completely different. But a win is a win. Next week, we’ll be better. Both Volyn and Rivne are strong teams; it’s hard to single out anyone, but physically it was much tougher today. I still have a lot of work to do. I’m not satisfied with my performance. I need to listen to the coach and improve. The victory counts, but I’m unhappy with how I played.”
Valeriy Plekhanov, head coach of Kyiv-Basket, congratulated his team on the win but acknowledged the challenges, saying, “It was a very tough game, especially physically. We’re not yet playing at our full level. We haven’t trained together enough, which led to misunderstandings, lack of concentration, communication, and cohesion at times. It takes time, and we will improve. However, I’m also not satisfied with how we looked. I believe we can play better both defensively and offensively. Today, there were many mistakes in organizing fast breaks, so we need to analyze our preparation. We had a constant stream of such moments.”
He continued, “First, we look at statistics; then my assistant provides scouting reports, and we study each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. We prepare to neutralize their strong points defensively and pressure their weak spots. Today, our fast break organization failed with many errors. We simulated screens but didn’t gain an advantage. Some of our attacks seemed unprepared, so there’s a lot of work ahead. Our next away game is against Dnipro. It will be interesting to face Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. Volyn has a good team. I wish you success and look forward to our next meeting.”
