Today, on 8 February 2025, at the capital’s Falcon Club arena, the second match of the international tournament between the Women's National teams of Belarus and Russia took place, resulting in a victory for the Belarusian Team with a score of 81:71.
The first quarter was intense, with both teams showing a serious attitude – the opening ten minutes ended in a tie (19:19). However, at the start of the second quarter, the Russian players took the initiative and created a small advantage for themselves, which our girls persistently tried to reduce. By halftime, the Belarusians not only managed to equalize the score but also pulled ahead by plus three – 46:43.
In the second half, the home team never allowed their opponents to take the lead: the third quarter ended with a score of 67:62, and after the final buzzer the score was 81:71.
The top scorers were Maryia Papova (Belarus) and Darya Kurilchik (Russia).
The awarding ceremony was conducted by Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus Aliaksandr Baraulia and Sports Director of the Russian Basketball Federation Natalia Vodopyanova.
BELARUS VS RUSSIA
Game 2
81:71
Belarus
Head coach – Natalia Trafimava
Starting five: Alex Bentley, Maryia Papova, Anastasia Verameenka, Yulia Rytsikava, Palina Kastsiukavets.
Russia
Head coach – Alexander Kovalev
Starting five: Josselina Maiga, Darya Repnikova, Sofya Lyulina, Anastasia Olairi Kosu, Viktoria Tretyakova.
Final score – 81:71 (19:19, 27:24, 21:19, 14:9)
Top scorers:
Belarus: Mariya Papova (23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists), Alex Bentley (16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals), Viktoryia Hasper (14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block)
Russia: Darya Kurilchik (17 points, 1 rebound), Ksenia Levchenko (12 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal), Yana Elberg (9 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals)
"I want to express my gratitude to our key players because this was not just about correcting mistakes – it was about their desire to step up and show that they are capable of playing and, most importantly, achieving results," said the coach of the Belarusian Women's National Team, Aliaksei Pyntsikau. "What is also important is that all 12 players who stepped on the court contributed to this result. Our Ural duo played quite well. However, I was amused by the moment when clubmates Alex Bentley and Ksenia Levchenko were chasing each other around the court while chatting. It shows that team connections exist, even across different national teams. I believe that despite the lack of international tournaments, the Russian National Team is still one of the strongest in Europe, making them serious opponents. We are also rejuvenating our squad – if you noticed, our 20-year-old Palina Kastsiukavets played the final minutes, which is a big deal, plus Liaskouskaya and Boika, who will turn 18 this year, stepped in to gain competitive experience."
"Yesterday, we had a strong first half – we made only 7 mistakes and showed a solid result. Unfortunately, in both halves, we missed too many three-pointers; our percentage was too low, and without those shots, it was difficult to win the first game," shared Belarusian National team player Yulia Vasilevich. "In the second half, we made too many mistakes and had too many inaccuracies. Today, we minimized our errors and played more cohesively, more as a team – and the result is on the scoreboard. I really missed playing at home – the familiar court, the fans, the National Team. It is always great to play at home. I'm very happy that the Belarusian Basketball Federation managed to organize such a prestigious tournament and bring us all together to compete."
Let us remind you that the international tournament Khalipsky Cup among the Women’s National teams of Belarus and Russia was held on 7-8 February 2025, at the Falcon Club arena in Minsk.
Special thanks to fans of all ages, who supported our team throughout these two days and helped make the Khalipsky Cup unforgettable!
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