Kyiv Knocked Off Rails By Lokomotiv Rostov

Anyone who doubts Russian basketball is the new force of international basketball should take a look at Lokomotiv Rostov.

A team which plays in the shadow of more famous teams like CSKA Moscow, Dynamo St Petersburg and BC Khimki, Rostov have struggled in the Superleague so far with two wins from five games but Europe is proving to be a different story.

They won for the third straight game in the EuroCup on Tuesday, prevailing 68-59 over Ukrainian giants BC Kyiv in a Group G battle of unbeatens.

Rostov, who had previously overcome Telekom Baskets Bonn and Barons Riga, reeled off the last 15 points to clinch the victory against Kyiv, who reached the final of the FIBA Europe League last season and also won the Ukrainian title.

Ratko Varda's basket had given Kyiv a 59-53 lead, but international stars in the Rostov line-up took center stage and led their team on a decisive run.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Afik Nissim of Israel and Mark Dickel of New Zealand tied the contest at 59-59, and then former Louisiana State University standout Jaime Lloreda, who could feature for Panama at next season's FIBA World Championship in Japan, buried a jumpshot to put Lokomotiv in front for good at 61-59 with 6:40 to play.

With just under five minutes to play, Dickel fed Nissim who hit a jumper, and Dickel then stretched the advantage to 66-59 by splitting a pair of free throws and making a jump shot of his own.

A dunk from Rostov forward Nikita Kurbanov with 2:25 to play rounded off the scoring in the contest.

Andrii Lebediev, Varda and Mark Jones all missed shots from the arc in the final two minutes for Kyiv, who are clearly suffering without points scoring machine LaMarr Greer.

The explosive guard is out of action for six weeks with a leg injury.

Lloreda is out to prove he is one of the best big men in the business.

While at LSU, he admitted that Shaquille O'Neal - a former Tiger himself - had been his idol.

After having his senior season ended early by plantar fasciaitis in his left
foot, Lloreda left Baton Rouge determined and he caught on with Pinar Karsiyaka last year in Turkey.

He missed a month with Karsiyaka, however, after being sidelined with appendicitis.

Now he is inflicting pain on his opponents.

He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for Lokomotiv Rostov against Kyiv, while Ivica Jurkovic led all scorers for the winning side with 13.

Kyiv forward Michael Harris had a game-high 18 points in defeat for Kyiv.

Next up for Lokomotiv in the EuroCup is a clash at Bonn while Kyiv will try to bounce back against BC Barons.