In Verkhnyaya Pyshma, UMMC-Junior claimed a long-awaited victory over a key rival from Moscow in the Fonbet Russian Championship – Superleague. Coached by Elena Kuzmina, the home team turned the tide of a hard-fought matchup and secured a 78–68 win, avenging two earlier defeats during the regular season.

Quarter scores: 14–10, 18–26, 23–19, 23–13

The first quarter was played at a measured pace, with both teams struggling to find their offensive rhythm. Nearly two minutes passed before the visitors opened the scoring. The remainder of the quarter was a tight, back-and-forth battle, with few open shots. Late in the period, UMMC-Junior increased the intensity, controlled the boards, and closed the period with a narrow but important 14–10 lead.

In the second ten minutes, the visitors tried to seize the initiative with a sudden run. A three-pointer sparked a 7–0 spurt for MBA-MGUSiT-2, and the home team briefly lost their rhythm. The young Foxes got back into the game with long-range shots from Maltseva and Golubeva; however, their offence still lacked consistency. By halftime, Andrey Dolopchi’s team were ahead 36–32.

The third quarter opened in a familiar pattern, with the Moscow team hitting a precise long-range shot. For most of the period, UMMC-Junior played catch-up, but with about a minute remaining, the hosts first evened the score and then took the lead. However, they were unable to maintain the advantage, and the quarter ended tied at 55–55, keeping the game wide open heading into the final quarter.   

The young Foxes showed their character and composure in the fourth quarter. Korkina knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead to five points, and UMMC-Junior’s advantage continued to grow. With three minutes left, the margin reached double digits, and the Moscow team started committing turnovers. Gusakova put the finishing touch on the win, scoring eight points in less than two minutes — two long-range shots and a mid-range jumper — to secure a confident 78–68 victory, a 10-point margin for UMMC-Junior.

UMMC-Junior: Samusheva (20 points, 5 rebounds), Golubeva (17 points, 8 rebounds), Gusakova (15 points, 4 rebounds)

MBA-MGUSiT-2: Reshetnikova (23 points, 3 rebounds), Arnautova (double-double – 13 points, 10 rebounds)

The young Foxes will play their next game on the road in Samara. On February 13 at MTL Arena-2, they will face the local Samara-2 team.