The first Russian Super League game in Verkhnyaya Pyshma delivered a true basketball showcase, as UMMC-Junior and Kazanochka battled in a closely contested matchup that remained undecided until the final quarter. The home team trailed 57–48 before the final 10 minutes but mounted a powerful comeback to close out their season opener with a 76–69 victory.

Quarter scores: 19–18, 17–18, 12–21, 28–12

The visitors opened the scoring, but it quickly became clear that the game was going to be a tough one. Both teams settled into a back-and-forth battle, with the lead changing hands several times. For Kazanochka, Trachuk was particularly effective in the paint, consistently scoring from close range. The visitors gradually moved ahead, but Elena Kuzmina’s team refused to let them pull away and went into the first break with a 19–18 lead. Right from the start of the season, the junior Foxes showed that they were ready to fight for every ball.

The second quarter followed the same tense pattern. Two three-pointers from Ledneva gave the visitors a six-point cushion, but the Yekaterinburg team answered from beyond the arc to get right back into the game. Neither team was able to establish control, while the battle for rebounds and every loose ball grew increasingly intense. At halftime, the scoreboard showed a perfectly even 36–36, with the game still wide open heading into the second half.

After the break, Kazanochka struck again from long range, and when Ledneva hit another three, Elena Kuzmina was forced to call a timeout. However, it did little to slow the Kazan team’s momentum, as the UMMC farm team continued to chase the game and entered the final quarter trailing 57–48.

And then Verkhnyaya Pyshma saw the true character of the juniors. The home team turned up the pressure, moved the ball with greater pace and gradually chipped away at Kazanochka’s advantage until they were within a single possession. Moments later, Elena Kuzmina’s team went ahead, turning a nine-point deficit into a lead at the most crucial stage of the game. The Yekaterinburg team scored 28 points in the final quarter to the visitors’ 12 and did not allow their opponents to mount a comeback of their own. The final buzzer confirmed a 76–69 victory, giving the junior Foxes a hard-fought win in their first game of the championship and a powerful emotional boost to start the season.

UMMC-Junior: Golubeva (18 points), Sidorova (15), Kozushkina (11).

Kazanochka: Ledneva (17 points), Kamasheva (10).