Spartak Moscow 2 claimed a narrow 67-63 victory over Chelyabinsk Women in the Russian Cup on Sunday. The match, played in front of a sparse crowd, ended with the visitors taking all three points from the contest. It was a tight affair throughout, with neither side able to build a meaningful lead. By then, the result had already shifted expectations for both teams.
Chelyabinsk came into the fixture having lost their previous two games, including a heavy 78-60 defeat to Krasnoyarsk and a closer 70-62 loss to Magnitogorsk. They had been looking to change course, but the visitors were not convinced. Spartak, meanwhile, had shown flashes of promise in their opening matches, beating Kazanochka 63-58 before falling to Noginsk 64-62.
The visitors never got going in the opening quarter, but they found their rhythm after the break. Chelyabinsk pinned them back early, but the away side responded with a series of efficient possessions. The home side gifted the goal in the final minutes, allowing Spartak to pull away. It was a game that could have gone either way, but the visitors held their nerve when it mattered.
The result leaves Chelyabinsk at the bottom of the table with three losses from three games. Spartak Moscow 2 remain in third place after two defeats, but the win gives them something to build on. Both teams sit on zero points, which means the standings say very little at this stage. The draw brought them together early, and neither side can afford to drop points now.