Zenit-2 loses in Barnaul
Zenit-2 lost to the basketball club Barnaul on the road. The game took place as part of the 18th round of the regular season of the Fonbet Super League. Here’s a detailed recap of the match.
Captain of the team Elkhan Akhmedov, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov, Ilyas Abdul and Artem Khodorych started as the first five for Zenit-2 from the beginning.
The hosts quickly gained a 5-point advantage, allowing them to dictate the pace of the game throughout. Barnaul maintained their lead, gradually increasing the gap. The Zenit-2 players scored points, but made several mistakes both in attack and defense. Krivyh scored a few hook shots, while Samukhin, Akhmedov, and Aksenov made baskets in solo drives. The first quarter ended with a significant lead for Barnaul — 24:17.
The second quarter began with another high-scoring run from the Siberians, who went on a 9:0 run, increasing the gap to 16 points. However, Zenit-2 quickly regained composure and evened the game. Confidence was restored thanks to consecutive three-pointers from Evstafiev and Aksenov. Towards the end of the first half, both teams exchanged long-range shots — Dmitry Airikh for Barnaul and Ivan Prokopenko for Zenit-2. The teams went to halftime with a score of 44:34.
After the break, Zenit-2 pressed hard and tried in every way to cut the deficit. They were somewhat successful in doing so. The Petersburg team acted systematically on both ends of the floor, and Aksenov’s signature three-pointers and free throws allowed Zenit-2 to win the third quarter — 57:50.
However, they couldn’t carry this momentum into the final period. Two more three-pointers from Aksenov cut the gap to just 5 points. But Barnaul quickly restored their double-digit advantage. Zenit-2 struggled with their shooting accuracy, which ultimately prevented them from challenging for the win. The final score was 78:64. As a result of this game, Zenit-2 remains in 2nd-3rd place in the standings.
The most productive players for Zenit-2 were Daniil Aksenov (25 points + 4 assists + 3 rebounds + 2 steals), Ilya Krivyh (11 points + 5 rebounds + 1 assist) and Vladislav Samukhin (10 points + 7 rebounds + 2 steals + 2 blocks + 1 assist).
In the next game, Zenit-2 will play at home against another championship leader, Temp-SUMZ. The game against the team from Revda will take place exactly one week from now, on January 25, at the Basketball Academy court (Severnaya Road, 12). The game will start at 18:00 St. Petersburg time. Admission is free for all fans. The match will be broadcast on the Russian Basketball Federation's website.
