The first games of ESBA 2018 championship in Pula were played on Sunday. A lot of emotions, friendship, smiles and amazing episodes have happened\u00a0in 3 courts at\u00a0first day.<\/p>\n
W50\/55<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A dramatic start in ESBA 2018 championship had home team Pula<\/strong> who defeated\u00a0Czech ladies\u00a0 31-29<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>It was a really tight game and home team should be grateful to\u00a0Ekaterina Loginova\u00a0<\/strong>who made the final jump shot and led the team to triumph.<\/p>\n The hero of the game scored 10 points.\u00a0Katarina Hume\u00a0<\/strong>added 9 points and 9 rebounds, while\u00a0Eva Brizova\u00a0<\/strong>scored 10 points for\u00a0Czech ladies.<\/strong><\/p>\n W30<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Nova arena\u00a0<\/strong>started their campaign in Croatia with an easy\u00a0124-39<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0victory ahead Kekava.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Russian team\u00a0<\/strong>stood out as the stronger side from the beginning of the game and the gap grew\u00a0at every minute of the game.<\/p>\n Elena Dyeva\u00a0<\/strong>had an impressive performance with 29 points and 13 rebounds,\u00a0Olga Iuzhnaia\u00a0<\/strong>scored 21 points and made 13 assists.\u00a0Angela Udalova\u00a0<\/strong>was the best player on the opposite side with 14 points.<\/p>\n Tigris <\/strong>team\u00a0as well started tournament with a win\u00a020-0<\/strong> – their opponents\u00a0Pula 30<\/strong>\u00a0was not able to field 5 players.<\/p>\n M70<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n M70 group started their road in ESBA 2018 championship today as well.\u00a0Kazan\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Vilniaus Statybos Senjorai <\/strong>teams game was one of the opening game for this tournament. Even if first part of the game was more successful for\u00a0Kazan\u00a0<\/strong>team, but after the break Lithuanians become unstoppable, ran away 37-26 and took first victory 46-32<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Jonas Zizliauskas\u00a0<\/strong>scored 16 points for the winners, while\u00a0Vladimir Zagliadimov\u00a0<\/strong>was the best with 10 points in\u00a0Kazan\u00a0<\/strong>team.<\/p>\n M55<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n M55 group games opened\u00a0BBG Perlas\u00a0<\/strong>with victory\u00a066-47<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>against\u00a0KFU Gorod Kazan.\u00a0<\/strong>Lithuanians, except first quarter, had control of the game. They extended their lead to double digit at the beginning of second half and passed with advantage till the end of the game.<\/p>\n Mindaugas Luko\u0161ius\u00a0<\/strong>was the top scorer with 26 points, while Saulius Kri\u0161\u010di\u016bnas<\/strong> added 14 points and 12 rebounds.<\/p>\n Meanwhile\u00a0Vadim Shvestov, Iurri Golubev\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Mikhail Gorskov\u00a0<\/strong>scored 10 points.<\/p>\n In other group game\u00a0Veteran Basket\u00a0<\/strong>made a run in the last quarter 25-10 and beat\u00a0Rovinj\u00a0<\/strong>by\u00a074-65<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Iurii Kosenko\u00a0<\/strong>finished the game with 26 points and 13 rebounds.\u00a0Andriy Podkovyrov\u00a0<\/strong>added 15 points.<\/p>\n Boris Grguev\u00a0<\/strong>with 25 points and\u00a0Predrag Srdic\u00a0<\/strong>with 17 points were best players in\u00a0Rovinj\u00a0<\/strong>team.<\/p>\n Same scenario happened in\u00a0Garkalne\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Veterani Umag\u00a0<\/strong>game. Garkalne\u00a0<\/strong> made a big statement at the second half of the game by winning it 39-23 and recording first 69-55<\/strong><\/a> victory in tournament.<\/p>\n Ziedonis Jansons\u00a0<\/strong>scored 21 points for the winners.\u00a0Igors Lukis\u00a0<\/strong>added 17 points and 12 rebounds.<\/p>\n Drasko Kunic\u00a0<\/strong> with 18 points was the best player in\u00a0Veterani Umag\u00a0<\/strong>team.<\/p>\n Starting 5 scored 41 from 45 points for\u00a0Russian Project\u00a0<\/strong>and lead a team to a first victory\u00a049-42<\/strong><\/a> against Sodoma.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Oleg Portnyiagin\u00a0<\/strong>scored 14 points, while\u00a0Vladimir Fidii\u00a0<\/strong>added 10 points.<\/p>\n Jaroslav Basus\u00a0<\/strong>was the only player with double digit in\u00a0Sodoma\u00a0<\/strong>team – 12 points.<\/p>\n M35\/40<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The only game was played in age group M35\/40.\u00a0Polyakov-Politechnic\u00a0<\/strong>stormed to an excellent start of tournament after defeating\u00a0BC Aqua 83-54<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Polyakov-Politechnic\u00a0<\/strong>stood out as the stronger side from the beginning of the game, managing to build a 41-19\u00a0lead by the halftime break. The gap grew even further in the second half.<\/p>\n Vadym Reka\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Tymur Arabadzhy\u00a0<\/strong>made best performances with 18 and 13 points, while\u00a0Vitalii Kiselev\u00a0<\/strong>with 14 points and\u00a0Dmitry Stolyarov\u00a0<\/strong>with 13 points made best performances in\u00a0BC Aqua\u00a0<\/strong>team.<\/p>\n M45\/50<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kauno LT United\u00a0<\/strong>started their campaign in Pula with an easy start\u00a0 78-37<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by beating Poltava-Kalush.\u00a0<\/b>Lithuania team gain the lead from the start and grew the gap all the game.<\/p>\n Giedrius Peciulionis\u00a0<\/strong>had outstanding performance with 27 points, while\u00a0Osvald Korner\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Oleg Pelekh\u00a0<\/strong>both scored 9 points for opposite side.<\/p>\n Better team on the court was\u00a0Mercury-Kazan\u00a0<\/strong>who easily defeated\u00a074-48<\/a>\u00a0Basketclub.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Most interesting game in age group was between\u00a0Patvanka\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Dinamo\u00a0<\/strong>clubs.\u00a0Patvanka\u00a0<\/strong>almost all game had a comfortable advantage, but\u00a0Dinamo\u00a0<\/strong>all the time kept their opponents quite close. The final result\u00a089-82<\/a> – Patvanka\u00a0<\/strong>victory in the first day of the tournament.<\/p>\n Arvydas Venclovas\u00a0<\/strong>showed incredible performance with 34 points.\u00a0Saulius Ragauskas\u00a0<\/strong>added 17 points.<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0Valerii Iaichun\u00a0<\/strong>scored 19 points and\u00a0Sergii Demurin\u00a0<\/strong>18 points for Dinamo.<\/b><\/p>\n W45<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dobele\u00a0<\/strong>team kept their basket empty for the whole quarter and grew advantage before the half of the game till 9 points. It was enough to keep advantage and took the first\u00a0 43-23<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>victory in ESBA championship.<\/p>\n Linda Rimgail\u0117\u00a0<\/strong>was the leading scorer with 9 points.<\/p>\n 4 players in other team scored for 4 points each –\u00a0Olena Diadechko, Tetiana Breslavets, Olena Tserkovna, Nataliia Muzychuk.<\/strong><\/p>\n In other game of the category,\u00a0Carpathian Bears<\/strong> did not have any problems with\u00a0Sedeuvos Malunos<\/strong>, defeating\u00a0them 49-23<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to also start the championship with a win.<\/p>\n Yelyzaveta Lysenko\u00a0<\/strong>led all scorers with 11 points, as\u00a0Tetyana Yasicheva\u00a0<\/strong>chipped 10 points.<\/p>\n Inga Jokubaitiene\u00a0<\/strong>with 10 points was the best player on another team.<\/p>\n M60<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Incredible intrigue was in the last match of the day, where\u00a0Vilniaus Statybos Senjorai\u00a0<\/strong>defeat their opponents\u00a0Petergof<\/strong>\u00a046-45<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The game had many ups and downs,\u00a0but a clutch performance by the\u00a0Lithuanians with\u00a0Algimantas Cesas\u00a0<\/strong>successful free throw attempt\u00a0allowed them to triumph.<\/p>\n Hero of the game scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.\u00a0Rasid Abeljanov\u00a0<\/strong>dropped 13 points.<\/p>\n