Easy Victory For Russia

BELARUS 51 - RUSSIA 66

Belarus put in front from the beginning with back to back baskets from Anastasiya Verameyenka and lead the first 4:30 minutes. Then Valery Thikoneko's team made an 8-0 run started by back to back baskets from Maria Stepanova and closed by 4 pts from Marina Kuzina to make it 18-11 with 1:30 remaining in the first, Belarus comeback in the last minute with 5 straight points to make it 18-15 at the end of the first after a layup  from Natalia Anufryimenka.

Russia left scoreless Anatoli Buyalski's women in the first 4:10. Irina Osipova started the run in the first minute however it took Russia three minutes to score the next basket -a trey from Marina Kuzina- and could only complete a 7-0 run capped by Osipova to make it 25-15. If Russia struggled, Belarus struggled even more despite they closed the gap to five points 28-23 after a jumper from Marina Kress, but Ekaterina Lisina and Ilona Korstin scored back to back baskets to reach the interval 32-23 ahead.

The beginning of the period was a fight almost exclusive between Ilona Korstin and Yelena Leuchanka that scored 6 pts apiece from their teams in the first four minutes when the score was 43-32 (6-of-11 for Korstin and 6-of-9 for Leuchanka) and the quarter continued with trading but the pace of the game slowed down with Russia cruising comfortably to victory since Belarus never was a threat. The run in the last six minutes was 7-4 for Russia that entered the fourth 50-36 ahead, with Maria Stepanova scoring 5 of that 7.  

Russia started the fourth with a 6-0 run to put the game away for sure, 56-36,  leading to Buyalski's timeout after which Volha Padabed y Natalia Anufryienka and Belarus reacted briefly in closing the gap to 60-47 afte a basket from Natalia TRafimava, leading to Tikhonenko's timeout with 3:45 remaining, but teams slowed down the pace again and it would last almost two minutes to score again, when Olga Arteshina made it 47-63 from beyond the arc to trade then until the end 66-51.

Ilona Korstin had 12 pts and 8 boards for Russia, joined by Marina Kuzina's 11 pts and María Stepanova added 17 pts and 8 boards.
For Belarus Yelena Leuchanka had 14 pts and 9 rebounds and Natalyia Trafimava 11 pts.