The men's team of the Volga region Academy of sports reached the "final eight" of the VTB Student League, on Saturday beating the third team of the regular season "Urfu-Uralmash" from Yekaterinburg with the score in the decisive match of the start round of the plef-off 95:88 (22:24, 23:22, 26:16, 24:26) and thus winning the series (2: 1).
In the playoffs, we recall that our team came out, located on the 13th line of the final standings of "regulars". The favorites of the pair, of course, were considered Yekaterinburg, besides, had the advantage of their field: the first two games they played on their home court. However, in Yekaterinburg, "academicians" presented a surprise: losing in the first meeting (66:98), they won the second (73:61). Our students created a winning reserve in the first half of the meeting, going on a long break in the lead with a difference of 19 points.  The most effective in this game was Artem Pinaev (20 points).
In the decisive meeting, which was held in the gym of the educational and laboratory building of the Volga region Academy on Saturday, the fans and the coach of our team Olesya Matvienko had to be nervous, in two quarters, including the start, the guests were stronger. After the first half "academicians" led with a difference in one point. But decisive was the third 10-minute period, which the hosts won +10. The most productive in the hosts in this match was, Shukhrat Muradaliyev (29 points, 6 rebounds), who did not play in Ekaterinburg.
So, the Academy team reached the" final eight " of the VTB Student League, which will be held in Kirov from 15 to 17 March. The first rival of our team – "KFU-Griffins" from Simferopol. In the case of the semi-finals of the "academics", will face the winner of MSU – "Univer" (Perm). In the other half of the tournament for an exit in the ending will argue MGAFK (Kansas city) - "Vyatgu" (Kirov) and UGTU (Ukhta) - MGTU im. Nosov (Magnitogorsk).
Before the team's departure to Kirov, not later than 11 March, will be known to the grid of the Last-64 of the League Belova, where team Academy (participated in the tournament two teams) went directly after winning the Kazan division championship ASB. In the final tournament, held between 19 and 28 February, "academics" consistently defeated the teams of SFU (85:73), CFI (92:51) and Kazan state power engineering University (78:53). The second team of the Academy, by the way, reached the playoffs to the semifinals and stopped a step from the "academic Derby".