Zenit overcomes challenges and secures victory in Perm
The away game against PARMA presented challenges for Xavi Pascual’s team even before the opening tip-off. Due to weather conditions, the team departed from St. Petersburg later than planned and arrived in Perm only early in the morning. As a result, the match start time was postponed by two hours. This game was set to be a real test of resilience — could Zenit handle the additional difficulties?
Zenit's starting five: Trent Frazier, Sergey Karasev, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich.
The first points of the match were scored by the hosts — Alex Hamilton drove to the hoop and put up two points. Zenit responded with a well-executed play and a three-pointer from Frazier. However, in the opening minutes, PARMA looked sharper: fast breaks, consecutive successful attacks, and intense rebounding battles gave the Perm team a six-point lead. Zenit struggled with their shot conversion, and while the game remained tight, the hosts confidently maintained their advantage. Everything changed after a powerful slam dunk by Vince Hunter — it energized the visitors. Gradually, with improved defense and accurate three-pointers from Frazier and Vorontsevich, Zenit caught up, forcing PARMA’s coaching staff to call their first timeout. Even after the pause, Frazier continued to hit his shots — another long-range basket followed by a mid-range jumper put Zenit ahead. Toward the end of the quarter, the team’s newcomer, Okaro White, stepped onto the court. He quickly drew a foul and confidently made both free throws, scoring his first points for Zenit. The visitors picked up momentum in the final minutes and finished the first quarter in the lead — 17:20.
In the second period, the blue-whites continued to attack from long range — this became their main weapon in the game. Alexey Shved and Alexander Shcherbenev each added a three-pointer to get on the scoreboard. When Zenit extended their lead to double digits, PARMA responded with a 7:0 run, cutting the gap to a single possession. Despite the strong stretch from the hosts, Zenit maintained their lead going into halftime — 34:38.
The third quarter was the lowest-scoring but remained just as intense. The hosts repeatedly tried to catch up, but Zenit’s solid defense prevented them from taking control. Hunter’s drive, a three-pointer from Zhbanov, and a hook shot from Poythress kept Zenit ahead. PARMA stayed within striking distance, but by the end of the quarter, Zenit managed to create some separation — 44:52.
The last ten minutes began with a three-pointer from Okaro White off a pass from Shved. The blue-whites confidently pushed their lead back into double digits, edging closer to victory. Another three-pointer from Shved and several precise shots from Hunter secured Zenit’s dominance. The final score — 58:74.
Top performers for Zenit: Alexey Shved (15 points + 3 rebounds + 1 assist), Trent Frazier (14 points + 5 assists + 3 rebounds), Vince Hunter (12 points + 6 rebounds + 3 blocks + 1 steal).
Zenit will play their next match on Thursday, February 13. The game against UNICS will take place in St. Petersburg at the CSC Arena. Tip-off is at 20:00 local time. Tickets are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.
