Zenit U21 secures victory in second match in Samara

The youth team of the blue-whites completed their away series against Samara-2 on January 9 and 10.

The first game was won by the hosts, who secured a victory with a score of 85:78. Despite the Zenit players confidently leading at the end of the first quarter (13:27), the Volga team managed to turn the game around and take the lead. The most effective player for Zenit U21 in the opening match was forward Timofey Komissarov, who scored 18 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and made 1 steal.

On the second game day, the St. Petersburg team started just as actively as they did the first day, gaining a "+23" lead by halftime. Returning from the locker room, the blue-whites continued to dominate and sealed a well-deserved victory with a final score of 76:94. The best player for Zenit U21 in this game was guard German Mushchinskiy, who recorded 23 points, 3 steals and 2 rebounds with 2 assists.

Roman Knyazev, head coach of Zenit U21:

I want to thank the guys for regrouping in the second game and showcasing our basketball. Unfortunately, we still tend to falter during certain stretches of the game, and we're continuing to work on that. On a positive note, Alexander Porotnikov is regaining form after a serious injury. His creativity in the second game provided us with additional opportunities. We're also looking forward to Ivan Vasiliev's return. The first game showed that we lacked physical presence, which his return will help address.

Timofey Komissarov, forward of Zenit U21:

This series of games was challenging; the whole team was trying to get back into last year’s rhythm after the New Year holidays. Overall, I think we managed to do so — partially in the first game and fully in the second. Ahead, we have a series against Avtodor, so we’re staying focused and preparing for a tough matchup.

In the next round of the VTB United Youth League regular season, the blue-whites will face Avtodor-2 on the road. The matches will take place on January 13 and 14 at the "Zvezdny" sports complex in Saratov. Both games will start at 13:00 St. Petersburg time. Live broadcasts of each game will be available on the League's website in the Zenit U21 schedule.