Zenit-2 scores a hundred and defeats Yugra away

The trip to Surgut was the last away game for Oliver Popovic's team in the regular season of the 2024/25 Fonbet Super League. Thanks to a confident victory over Universitet Yugra, the blue-whites managed to retain their 4th place in the standings.

Maxim Karvanen, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov, Ilyas Abdul and Ivan Prokopenko started the match in the first five for Zenit-2.

From the first minutes, the game was dynamic and full of dangerous moments. Both teams exchanged successful attacks, but gradually, the visitors began to take the initiative. At the start, Zenit-2 relied on Aksenov and Karvanen's shots, but by the end of the first quarter, almost every player who stepped onto the court had contributed to the scoreboard. While Prokopenko, Khodorich and Akhmedov hit accurate long-range shots, Samukhin capitalized on second-chance opportunities, and Krivyh sliced through the defense with a powerful drive. The result of the first ten minutes — 17:29 in favor of Zenit-2.

The second period started with a three-point duel between St. Petersburg captain Elkhan Akhmedov and Universitet Yugra guard Igor Samsonov. Overall, the game remained quite competitive. Midway through the quarter, the blue-whites extended their lead to 17 points, but the hosts quickly responded and cut the deficit to "-8". However, by halftime, Zenit-2 restored a comfortable gap — 41:54.

After returning from the locker room, the St. Petersburg team had their most productive stretch, scoring 37 points in ten minutes. High shooting efficiency and solid defense allowed the visitors to extend their lead to a massive "+31". In this quarter, Khodorich stood out with three accurate long-range shots, while Prokopenko and Samukhin impressed with their flashy drives. Before the final ten minutes, the scoreboard showed 60:91.

The final quarter went in favor of Yugra (28:15), but this could no longer affect the outcome of the game. Zenit-2 confidently secured the win, and the team's 100th point was scored by Egor Evstafiev, who made a mid-range shot. Final score — 88:106.

The top scorers for Zenit-2 were Daniil Aksenov (18 points + 6 assists + 5 rebounds), Artem Khodorich (16 points + 2 rebounds + 2 steals), Vladislav Samukhin (14 points + 8 rebounds + 1 assist), Egor Evstafiev (12 points + 2 rebounds + 2 assists + 1 steal) and Ivan Prokopenko (11 points + 2 rebounds + 1 steal).

In the 29th round of the Fonbet Super League, the blue-whites will host Rostov's BARS-RGEU on their home court. The game will take place on March 20 at the Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). Tip-off is at 20:00 St. Petersburg time. Admission is free for all fans. The match will be streamed on the Russian Basketball Federation's website.