Zenit secures a hard-fought victory in Krasnodar
A true basketball thriller unfolded in Krasnodar during the 35th round of the VTB United League regular season. Facing off against Lokomotiv Kuban, the blue-whites managed to erase a 17-point deficit and clinch a determined victory. Let’s break down the key moments of the weekend’s main game.
Blue-whites' starting five: Sergey Karasev, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Andrey Vorontsevich and Vince Hunter.
The match began with chaotic attacks from both sides. Both Zenit and Lokomotiv missed shots, intercepted passes and struggled to open the scoring for an extended period. It wasn’t until the end of the second minute that home team center Kirill Elatontsev broke the drought with an emphatic dunk, followed by a successful free throw. Meanwhile, St. Petersburg’s squad suffered from poor shooting efficiency, with only a couple of made free throws by Frazier keeping them on the scoreboard. With the score at 10:2 in favor of Krasnodar, Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual was forced to call an early timeout. The pause worked — on the very next play, Karasev drained a three-pointer. However, Loko guard Antonius Cleveland responded immediately with a three of his own, and the hosts continued to build their lead. By the end of the quarter, the gap had stretched to 17 points. A crucial deep shot from Shved in the final seconds slightly trimmed the deficit — an important step toward a potential comeback. The first quarter ended 32:17 in favor of Lokomotiv Kuban.
Zenit came out firing in the second quarter, putting together a powerful 11:0 run that started with a Hunter "and-one", followed by Shved’s free throws and a combination of two- and three-pointers from Zhbanov. This surge disrupted the home team’s rhythm, but Loko managed to recover and maintain a lead within a 3-6 point range. The visitors significantly improved their ball movement and completely shifted their mentality after the rough start. Additionally, they smartly forced their opponents into foul trouble — by halftime, Lokomotiv had committed 18 fouls, while Zenit had attempted 27 free throws. At the break, the score was 48:46, reducing the deficit to just one possession.
After halftime, Zenit quickly tied the game and began to pull ahead. The team’s foreign players demonstrated excellent chemistry, which helped establish a comfortable 8-point lead midway through the quarter. Key contributions came from Vorontsevich’s two long-range shots, Hunter’s aggressive drives, and a crucial "and-one" by Poythress. However, the standout performer of the third quarter was Dwayne Bacon. After failing to score a single point in the first half, the American forward erupted for 13 points, including three three-pointers. Heading into the final period, Zenit held a firm lead — 70:78.
Bacon maintained his momentum after the break, extending Zenit's" advantage to 12 points with two strong drives. However, Lokomotiv responded with a furious run, instantly erasing the deficit. In a tense closing stretch, the lead swung back and forth between the teams, with the game ultimately decided in the final seconds. Zenit secured a crucial rebound after Uzinskiy missed a free throw, and in the next possession, Georgy Zhbanov calmly sank a three-pointer, sealing a hard-earned victory for his team. Final Score: 92:89 — marking Zenit's 11th consecutive win.
The top players for Zenit were Dwayne Bacon (21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 1 block), Vince Hunter (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist, 1 block) and Trent Fraser (14 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds).
In the next VTB United League round, Zenit will host Saratov’s Avtodor on March 16 at CSC Arena. Tip-off is at 17:00 St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.
