Zenit’s farm team falls to Tambov on home court
Despite a strong run in the third quarter, Oliver Popovic’s team failed to turn the game around in the final moments and lost to the visitors in the 23rd round of the Fonbet Super League regular season. The reserve team retains its 4th place in the standings. Read more about the match in our report.
Starting five for Zenit-2: Ilya Krivyh, Daniil Aksenov, Mikhail Dulkay, Ivan Prokopenko and Pavel Zemskiy.
The game started at a high pace, with both teams taking turns controlling the momentum. Tambov was the first to seize the initiative with a 9:2 run, forcing Zenit-2’s coaching staff to call an early timeout. Gradually, the St. Petersburg team found their rhythm and began addressing their early struggles with shot conversion. Vladislav Samukhin scored with a foul (2+1), Pavel Zemskiy delivered a powerful dunk, and Ivan Prokopenko was accurate from the free-throw line, cutting the deficit to a single possession. However, Tambov quickly regained control and, within minutes, extended their lead to "+9". A three-pointer by Khodorich and a driving layup by Zemskiy slightly slowed the game’s pace, but the first quarter still ended in favor of Tambov — 13:20.
The period began with another three-pointer from Khodorich, but Tambov responded with a powerful 12:2 run, increasing their advantage to "+14". Zenit-2 continued to struggle with shot accuracy, and their disrupted rhythm played into the visitors’ hands. Meanwhile, Tambov steadily widened the gap. By halftime, the difference had grown to 21 points — 24:45.
Tambov opened the second half with a floater from Andrey Rogozenko, but they soon encountered Zenit-2’s tough defense, managing only five points in the next five minutes. This seemed like a potential turning point for the hosts, but offensive struggles persisted. Nonetheless, Zenit-2 managed a crucial 12:2 run: Prokopenko hit from beyond the arc, Dulkay made two drives and a long-range shot, and Zemskiy converted from the free-throw line. The deficit shrank to 12 points, but at a key moment, Tambov regained control and extended their lead before the final quarter — 40:58.
The last stretch was filled with exciting moments from both teams: Dulkay and Vikentiev were active on rebounds, Aksenov, Zemskiy and Pan hit three-pointers, and Akhmedov broke through the defense with strong drives. However, the hosts couldn't turn the tide despite coming close in the previous quarter. In the end, Tambov secured a 68:85 victory.
Top performers for Zenit-2: Pavel Zemskiy (17 points, 14 rebounds), Mikhail Dulkay (16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks)
Zenit-2 will play their next game at home against CSKA-2 on February 15 at the Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). Tip-off is at 18:00 St. Petersburg time. Entry is free for all fans, and the game will be streamed live on the Russian Basketball Federation's website.
