Higher League Round 35 (Regular Season): Aktobe beat Kaspiy-2 by three after a very close game

The games at this stage are more interesting as they can be crucial for the final standings in Regular Season. Despite we already know who is stronger and who is weaker, there may be still last minute surprises and upsets. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Fifteenth-ranked Kaspiy-2 (1-26) used its home court advantage to challenge second ranked Aktobe (24-5) in Aktau on Saturday. The visitors from Aktobe managed to secure only three-point victory 71-68. However their fans expected much easier game. Point guard Bibarys Aytkulov (177-2005) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 4 assists (perfect behind the arc making all six shots !!!). Guard Artur Junusov (189-2003) contributed with 17 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Swingman Dmitry Denisov (194-2005) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists for Kaspiy-2. Aktobe have a solid series of three victories in a row. Despite that victory Aktobe went down to third position due to points difference. Kaspiy-2 lost twenty first consecutive game. They stay dead last with 26 lost games. Aktobe will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kaspiy-2 will play at home against the league's second-placed Shymkent (#2) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that they can break losing series.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Aktobe (24-5) against sixth ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) on Wednesday night. Visiting Aktobe was crushed by Barsy 2 in Atyrau 99-75. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Aktobe. It was a great evening for forward Aibolat Omarov (197-2006) who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points and 9 rebounds. Abat Marat helped adding 17 points. Barsy 2's coach felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international center Dmitriy Gavrilov (204-1986) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds. Barsy 2 maintains sixth place with 17-10 record. Aktobe at the other side dropped to the third position with five games lost. Barsy 2 will play against league's leader Turan in Turkistan in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Aktobe will have a break next round.
Higher League top team - Turan (27-0) added another victory to their record on Monday. This time they beat sixth ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) in Atyrau 71-67. It was a quality performance for Alymzhan Maksutov who led the winners and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. Aibolat Omarov came up with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists for Barsy 2 in the defeat. Undefeated Turan have an impressive series of twenty seven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 27-0 record. Barsy 2 lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with ten games lost. Turan's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Turkistan .

There were no big surprises in other games of round 35: Shymkent smashed Kaspiy-2 on the road 105-73. Karaganda won against Tobyl on its own court 83-65. Bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 lost to undefeated Turan in Turkistan 52-88. Pavlodar was rolled over ChelSU at home 44-64. Barsy 2 was crushed by Shymkent on the opponent's court 89-68. Bars beat Champ1on in a home game 82-69. Almaty-2 won against Tigers-KazATU on the road 75-71. Barsy 2 unfortunately lost to Aktobe on its own court 79-96. Bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 recorded a loss to Aktobe in a road game 59-71.



Kaspiy-2 - Shymkent 73-105

No shocking result in a game when third ranked Shymkent (24-3) crushed bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 (1-26) in Aktau 105-73 on Monday. Shymkent dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Kaspiy-2's 46. They outrebounded Kaspiy-2 43-25 including 30 on the defensive glass. Shymkent looked well-organized offensively handing out 29 assists. It was an exceptional evening for forward Aleksei Vereshagin (200-1992) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Victor Yuldashev (190-2002) accounted for 25 points and 5 assists for the winning side. Four Shymkent players scored in double figures. Guard Issan Musuraliev (185-2004) came up with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists and forward Alizhan Nurlybay (197-2005) added 18 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Kaspiy-2 in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Shymkent have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They moved-up to second place. Kaspiy-2 lost twenty first consecutive game. They stay dead last with 26 lost games. Shymkent will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kaspiy-2 will play again against the league's second-placed Shymkent (#2) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Shymkent: A.Vereshagin 26+12reb+3ast, V.Yuldashev 25+4reb+5ast, A.Shakirov 21+6reb+4ast, N.Bazhin 10+13reb+9ast, V.Bagrov 6, I.Bimendin 6+3reb+3ast
Kaspiy-2: M.Issan 26+5reb+11ast, N.Alizhan 18+7reb+1ast, K.Amir 9+5reb+4ast, D.Dmitry 6+1reb+3ast, G.Timur 5+3reb+2ast, M.Alen 3+1reb

Barsy 2 - Turan 67-71

Higher League top team - Turan (27-0) added another victory to their record on Monday. This time they beat sixth ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) in Atyrau 71-67. It was a quality performance for guard Alymzhan Maksutov (180-1994) who led the winners and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. The former international swingman Konstantin Dvirnyi (192-1988) accounted for 19 points for the winning side. Four Turan players scored in double figures. Forward Aibolat Omarov (197-2006) came up with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists and guard Bolatbek Baktygali (185-2006) added 17 points, 6 assists and 4 steals respectively for Barsy 2 in the defeat. Turan have an impressive series of twenty seven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 27-0 record. Barsy 2 lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with ten games lost. Turan's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Turkistan .
Top scorers:
Turan: A.Maksutov 21+8reb+3ast, K.Dvirnyi 19+4reb+1ast, A.Marat 14+4reb+1ast, S.Bormatenkov 13+8reb+3ast, A.Akhmetzhan 2+6reb+2ast, B.Mammatrimov 2+12reb+4ast
Barsy 2: B.Bolatbek 17+4reb+6ast, O.Aibolat 13+14reb+4ast, K.Adil 12+9reb+1ast, M.Abat 9+5reb+4ast, S.Islam 9+3reb+1ast, U.Kairat 7+2reb+2ast

Karaganda - Tobyl 83-65

Very expected game when 13th ranked Tobyl (5-21) lost on the road to ninth ranked Karaganda (12-14) 83-65 on Tuesday. Karaganda outrebounded Tobyl 51-39 including 18 on the offensive glass. Karaganda looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was an exceptional evening for forward Alexey Alyonushka (190-1995) who led the winners with a triple-double by scoring 15 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists. Center Saveliy Shestak (200-2007) accounted for 22 points and 9 rebounds for the winning side. Four Karaganda players scored in double figures. Karaganda's coach used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Guard Ramil Urazbaev (188-2007) came up with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds and guard Darim Sulatanov (175-2008) added 17 points and 5 assists respectively for Tobyl in the defeat. Karaganda maintains ninth place with 12-14 record. Tobyl lost their seventh game in a row. They dropped to the twelfth position with 21 games lost. Karaganda will meet higher ranked ChelSU (#7) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tobyl will play against Pavlodar (#14) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Karaganda: S.Shestak 22+9reb+1ast, M.Duissenbay 16+9reb+2ast, A.Alyonushka 15+18reb+13ast, K.Teryukov 13+4reb+3ast, N.Ilbishev 6+2reb, A.Vlasov 5+1reb+1ast
Tobyl: S.Darim 17+2reb+5ast, U.Ramil 14+19reb+1ast, S.Adil 14+4reb, S.Mikhail 9+4reb+1ast, S.Ilya 6+1reb+1ast, V.Timur 3+5reb+1ast

Turan - Kaspiy-2 88-52

Very predictable result when leader Turan (27-0) rolled over bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 (1-26) in Turkistan 88-52 on Tuesday. Turan forced 24 Kaspiy-2 turnovers and outrebounded them 41-27 including 28 on the defensive glass. Turan looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Kaspiy-2's players. It was an exceptional evening for forward Sergei Bormatenkov (191-1991) who led the winners and scored 30 points and 4 assists (on 12-of-14 shooting from the field). Guard Alymzhan Maksutov (180-1994) accounted for 12 points and 6 assists for the winning side. Swingman Dmitry Denisov (194-2005) came up with a double-double by scoring 10 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and forward Alizhan Nurlybay (197-2005) added 15 points respectively for Kaspiy-2 in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the twenty seventh consecutive win for Turan. They maintain first place with 27-0 record. Kaspiy-2 lost their twenty first game in a row. They stay dead last with 26 lost games. Turan will meet Barsy 2 (#6) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Kaspiy-2 will play against the league's second-placed Shymkent (#2) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Turan: S.Bormatenkov 30+2reb+4ast, A.Maksutov 12+4reb+6ast, S.Rozbayev 8+6reb+2ast, M.Mukhameddin 7+1reb+1ast, K.Dvirnyi 7+1reb, A.Marat 6+3reb+2ast
Kaspiy-2: N.Alizhan 15+2reb+2ast, D.Dmitry 10+11reb+5ast, M.Issan 10+4reb+2ast, K.Amir 8+1reb, N.Omar 6+1reb, G.Timur 3+5reb

Pavlodar - ChelSU 44-64

Not a big story in a game when 14th ranked Pavlodar (2-25) was outscored at home by seventh ranked ChelSU (14-12) 64-44 on Tuesday. ChelSU forced 22 Pavlodar turnovers and outrebounded them 53-36 including a 41-27 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was an exceptional evening for point guard Maxim Zhukov (173-2001) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 10 rebounds. Swingman Artem Fedotov (195-2005) accounted for 17 points and 13 rebounds for the winning side. Nikita Zinchenko (-2008) came up with 10 points and 7 rebounds and Alexander Golikov (-2006) added 9 points and 8 rebounds respectively for Pavlodar in the defeat. Pavlodar's coach Vladimir Vasiliev rotated twelve players seeing no chance for a win. ChelSU maintains seventh place with 14-12 record. Pavlodar lost their fourteenth game in a row. They keep the fourteenth position with 25 games lost. ChelSU will meet at home Karaganda (#9) in the next round. Pavlodar will play against Tobyl (#12) in Kostanay and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
ChelSU: M.Zhukov 25+10reb+3ast, A.Fedotov 17+13reb, A.Mzikyan 15+9reb, A.Bogatyrev 4+6reb+3ast, D.Kochetkov 2+4reb, A.Prodius 1+1reb
Pavlodar: Z.Nikita 10+7reb+1ast, G.Alexander 9+8reb, K.Almas 8+5reb, M.Vladislav 8+2reb, T.Aldiyar 4+2reb, T.Daniyal 2+1reb+1ast

Shymkent - Barsy 2 89-68

Everything went according to plan when third ranked Shymkent (24-3) outplayed at home 6th ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) 89-68 on Tuesday. Shymkent looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was an exceptional evening for the former international forward Nikolay Bazhin (198-1990) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). Forward Aleksei Vereshagin (200-1992) accounted for 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winning side. Guard Adil Kuantaev (185-2005) came up with 15 points and forward Aibolat Omarov (197-2006) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Barsy 2 in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Shymkent. They moved-up to second place. Barsy 2 lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the sixth position with ten games lost. Shymkent will meet bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 (#15) in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Barsy 2 will play against the league's leader Turan (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shymkent: N.Bazhin 23+13reb+7ast, V.Yuldashev 19, A.Vereshagin 19+6reb+3ast, A.Shakirov 8+5reb+5ast, E.Batyrbai 6+1reb+1ast, B.Agabek 5+3reb+1ast
Barsy 2: K.Adil 15+3reb+1ast, O.Aibolat 12+6reb+1ast, B.Bolatbek 11+2reb+3ast, U.Kairat 9+3reb, I.Mansur 9+2reb+4ast, B.Muhammed 4+3reb

Bars - Champ1on 82-69

There was no surprise when 8th ranked Champ1on (13-12) lost to fourth ranked Bars (20-5) in Petropavlovsk 69-82 on Tuesday. Bars forced 24 Champ1on turnovers. It was an exceptional evening for power forward Maksim Nalogov (198-1994) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Sergey Dyatlik (194-1997) accounted for 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side. Bektimir Tau (200-2007) came up with 11 points and 9 rebounds and point guard Roman Shabatura (191-2007) added 14 points and 6 steals respectively for Champ1on in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the ninth consecutive win for Bars. They maintain fourth place with 20-5 record. Loser Champ1on keeps the eighth position with 12 games lost. Bars will meet Almaty-2 (#5) on the road in the next round. Champ1on will play against Tigers-KazATU and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bars: M.Nalogov 26+12reb+3ast, A.Parfenov 20+2reb, S.Dyatlik 13+6reb+5ast, A.Kozyrkin 6+5reb+1ast, D.Nurgaliev 6+3reb+1ast, A.Vakhrameev 6+5reb
Champ1on: S.Roman 14+3reb+1ast, T.Bektimir 11+9reb+2ast, K.Iliya 10+4reb+1ast, G.Mark 8+2reb+1ast, S.Vitaliy 7+3reb+3ast, M.Mukhammed 5+1reb+5ast

Tigers-KazATU - Almaty-2 71-75

No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Almaty-2 (17-8) beat 10th ranked Tigers-KazATU (10-15) in Astana 75-71 on Tuesday. Almaty-2 dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Tigers-KazATU's 26. It was an exceptional evening for guard Nikita Fedchenko (190-2004) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 13 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field). Guard Dias Kalymbetov (190-2004) accounted for 14 points for the winning side. Guard Ivan Barabash (188-2007) came up with 29 points and 4 assists and guard Shyndos Zhumabay (187-2005) added 26 points and 7 steals respectively for Tigers-KazATU in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. The victory was the fourteenth consecutive win for Almaty-2. They moved-up to fifth place. Loser Tigers-KazATU keeps the tenth position with 15 games lost. Almaty-2 will meet at home higher ranked Bars (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tigers-KazATU will play against Champ1on (#8) in Almaty and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Almaty-2: N.Fedchenko 22+13reb, D.Kalymbetov 14+2reb+2ast, A.Volkov 10+3reb+2ast, A.Isagulov 8+4reb, E.Konstantinov 5+2reb+1ast, G.Suptel 4+1reb+1ast
Tigers-KazATU: B.Ivan 29+4reb+4ast, Z.Shyndos 26+3reb, U.Bibars 5+3reb+2ast, I.Artemiy 4+3reb, D.Tamerlan 4+6reb, T.Erasyl 3+2reb+2ast

Barsy 2 - Aktobe 99-75

Very important is a road loss of second ranked Aktobe (24-5) against sixth ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) on Wednesday night. Visiting Aktobe was crushed by Barsy 2 in Atyrau 99-75. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Aktobe. It was a great evening for forward Aibolat Omarov (197-2006) who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points and 9 rebounds. Forward Abat Marat (183-2005) helped adding 17 points. Four Barsy 2 players scored in double figures. Barsy 2's coach felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international center Dmitriy Gavrilov (204-1986) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds and point guard Bibarys Aytkulov (177-2005) scored 15 points. Barsy 2 maintains sixth place with 17-10 record. Aktobe at the other side dropped to the third position with five games lost. Barsy 2 will play against league's leader Turan in Turkistan in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Aktobe will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Barsy 2: A.Omarov 27+9reb+2ast, K.Utegen 18+3reb, A.Marat 17+3reb+2ast, E.Alexandr 16+2reb+3ast, B.Baktygali 12+2reb+3ast, A.Kuantaev 7+9reb+4ast
Aktobe: G.Dmitriy 24+11reb, A.Bibarys 15+3reb+3ast, J.Artur 11+1reb+2ast, Z.Nursultan 8+1reb, O.Baynazar 7+6ast, N.Damir 6+4reb+1ast

Barsy 2 - Aktobe 79-96

Very expected game when 6th ranked Barsy 2 (17-10) lost to second ranked Aktobe (24-5) in Atyrau 79-96 on Thursday. Aktobe made 18-of-19 free shots (94.7 percent) during the game. Aktobe outrebounded Barsy 2 43-30 including 31 on the defensive glass. Aktobe looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was an exceptional evening for the former international center Dmitriy Gavrilov (204-1986) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 32 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Artur Junusov (189-2003) accounted for 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side. Alexandr Ermakov (-2005) came up with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists and forward Aibolat Omarov (197-2006) added 13 points and 9 rebounds respectively for Barsy 2 in the defeat. Five Aktobe and four Barsy 2 players scored in double figures. Barsy 2's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. The victory was the third consecutive win for Aktobe. Despite that victory Aktobe went down to third position due to points difference. Barsy 2 lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the sixth place with ten games lost. Aktobe will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Barsy 2 will play against the league's leader Turan (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Aktobe: D.Gavrilov 32+11reb+2ast, A.Junusov 18+5reb+6ast, A.Narimanov 13+6reb+1ast, B.Aytkulov 12+5reb+5ast, B.Omarov 11+10reb+7ast, D.Nursiitov 4+3reb+1ast
Barsy 2: A.Ermakov 17+6reb+8ast, M.Abat 17+1ast, O.Aibolat 13+9reb+2ast, B.Bolatbek 11+2ast, U.Kairat 10+2reb, K.Adil 5+8reb+3ast

Aktobe - Kaspiy-2 71-59

Very predictable result when second ranked Aktobe (24-5) won against at home bottom-ranked Kaspiy-2 (1-26) 71-59 on Friday. Aktobe forced 28 Kaspiy-2 turnovers. It was an exceptional evening for point guard Bibarys Aytkulov (177-2005) who led the winners and scored 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Forward Adil Narimanov (196-2001) accounted for 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winning side. Swingman Dmitry Denisov (194-2005) came up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds and forward Alizhan Nurlybay (197-2005) added 9 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks respectively for Kaspiy-2 in the defeat. Kaspiy-2's coach Nursultan Bekmuratov rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the third consecutive win for Aktobe. Despite that victory Aktobe went down to third position due to points difference. Kaspiy-2 lost their twenty first game in a row. They stay dead last with 26 lost games. Aktobe will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kaspiy-2 will play against the league's second-placed Shymkent (#2) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Aktobe: A.Narimanov 19+6reb+2ast, B.Aytkulov 15+8reb+5ast, B.Lashch 10+11reb+2ast, B.Omarov 9+4reb+2ast, Y.Samoilov 7+5reb+1ast, A.Junusov 4+1reb+1ast
Kaspiy-2: D.Dmitry 19+14reb+1ast, M.Issan 13+4reb+7ast, K.Amir 12+1reb+1ast, N.Alizhan 9+12reb+4ast, G.Timur 4+6reb+3ast, B.Artur 2

Kaspiy-2 - Aktobe 68-71

Fifteenth-ranked Kaspiy-2 (1-26) used its home court advantage to challenge second ranked Aktobe (24-5) in Aktau on Saturday. The visitors from Aktobe managed to secure only three-point victory 71-68. However their fans expected much easier game. Point guard Bibarys Aytkulov (177-2005) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 4 assists (perfect behind the arc making all six shots !!!). Guard Artur Junusov (189-2003) contributed with 17 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Swingman Dmitry Denisov (194-2005) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists and guard Issan Musuraliev (185-2004) added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the effort for Kaspiy-2. Four Kaspiy-2 players scored in double figures. Aktobe have a solid series of three victories in a row. Despite that victory Aktobe went down to third position due to points difference. Kaspiy-2 lost twenty first consecutive game. They stay dead last with 26 lost games. Aktobe will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kaspiy-2 will play at home against the league's second-placed Shymkent (#2) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that they can break losing series.
Top scorers:
Aktobe: B.Aytkulov 19+4reb+4ast, A.Junusov 17+8reb+2ast, B.Omarov 9+7reb+5ast, N.Zhappar 9+1reb, D.Nursiitov 6+7reb+1ast, A.Narimanov 5+4reb+2ast
Kaspiy-2: D.Dmitry 18+14reb+4ast, N.Alizhan 15+1reb, G.Timur 14+7reb+1ast, M.Issan 10+7reb+6ast, K.Amir 9+3reb+1ast, N.Omar 2