Zenit loses to Loko in a home game
Zenit and Lokomotiv Kuban played an emotional and dramatic match. The game of the 24th round of the VTB United League took place today, January 11, at the home arena of the blue-whites and ended with a victory for the visitors. Here’s a detailed report of the game.
Trent Frazier and Dwayne Bacon returned to Zenit’s roster after missing the game in Samara. However, Denis Zakharov was unavailable due to an injury sustained in the match against Volga squad. The team’s captain, Sergey Karasev, along with Xavier Moon, Andrey Vorontsevich, Dwayne Bacon and Alex Poythress, started the game at CSC Arena.
The opening tip went to the visitors, and Lokomotiv scored the first points of the match with forward Kirill Temirov converting free throws. Zenit responded with two points from Bacon, who sank a basket off an assist from Moon from the baseline. The Xavier-Dwayne duo quickly added 11 more points, giving Zenit a 5-point lead and a solid start to the game. The opponents made several attempts to strike back, but Zenit’s defense and dynamic offensive line thwarted them each time. The first quarter ended with Zenit leading 30:28.
The next 10 minutes were much tougher. Lokomotiv Kuban forward Dmitrii Uzinskii immediately gave his team the lead, first scoring from beyond the arc and then converting a layup after intercepting a pass from Hunter. Recovering from this minor setback, Zenit regrouped and, thanks to Moon and Bacon, delivered a productive stretch. However, one trend stood out: the visitors applied constant pressure and succeeded, while Zenit committed turnovers and missed key opportunities. In the final minutes of the quarter, Frazier and Bacon narrowed the gap, but Lokomotiv still went into halftime with the lead, 46:51.
The beginning of the second half was a shock for Zenit. In the first three minutes, the visitors went on an 11:0 run, increasing their lead to 16 points. This sequence proved pivotal for the entire match. Georgy Zhbanov finally ended Zenit’s scoring drought with a put-back dunk. However, the visitors maintained their dominance, while Xavi Pascual’s squad continued to struggle offensively. The score gap at one point reached 29 points. Toward the end of the quarter, Zenit’s technical slump seemed to subside. Poythress and Shcherbenev broke through the visitors’ defense and scored, while Vorontsevich added a three-point play (2+1). Despite this mini-run, Zenit trailed significantly, 61:83, going into the final quarter.
Zenit entered the final 10 minutes with determination and a mindset for a comeback. The first few seconds of the quarter confirmed their intentions. Moon drained two three-pointers, and Shcherbenev added a two-point shot. This fiery start from the blue-whites forced Andrei Vedishchev’s coaching staff to call a timeout, which unfortunately disrupted Zenit’s momentum. The game continued in a more balanced manner from then on, which played into Lokomotiv’s hands. With three minutes remaining, efforts from Moon and Zhbanov reduced the deficit to 11 points, raising fans' hopes for a late rally. However, the visitors played smartly in the final minutes and ultimately secured a 98:117 victory.
The standout players for Zenit were Xavier Moon (32 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals), Georgy Zhbanov (17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block), Dwayne Bacon (15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal).
Zenit will play their next game agaun in Saint Petersburg at CSC Arena. The matchup against Pari Nizhny Novgorod will take place on Wednesday, January 15, starting at 20:00 local time. Tickets are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.
