Zenit defeats Avtodor at home
The match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Avtodor Saratov was held as part of the 36th round of the VTB United League regular season. Despite a rough start, Xavi Pascual's team managed to seize the initiative and claim a confident victory.
Starting five for Zenit: team captain Sergey Karasev, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich.
The game started with a 6:0 run in favor of the visitors. While the St. Petersburg team struggled in offense, Avtodor capitalized on all their attempts and dominated defensive rebounds. Following a timeout by Xavi Pascual, Zenit finally got on the scoreboard — Dwayne Bacon opened the scoring with a couple of mid-range shots and free throws. However, this did not significantly impact the game’s momentum. The Saratov team continued to extend their lead, reaching a "+17" advantage: Artem Klimenko was accurate on drives, Bryant Crawford hit from beyond the arc, while Jamal Jones and Caleb Agada converted mid-range shots. Zenit managed to cut the deficit slightly toward the end of the quarter, as Frazier knocked down a three-pointer, followed by a buzzer-beating shot from Karasev — 18:28 at the end of the first ten minutes.
At the start of the second quarter, the game seemed to follow the same pattern. Avtodor maintained pressure and capitalized on second-chance points, while Zenit continued to struggle with turnovers. However, two consecutive three-pointers by Frazier shifted the momentum, prompting Saratov’s coaching staff to call a timeout. Zenit successfully got back into the game, highlighted by a powerful dunk from Alex Poythress and a 3+1 play from Frazier. By the fourth minute of the quarter, the Zenit guard had already tallied 15 points, hitting 4/5 from a distance. Thanks to Frazier’s performance, Zenit reduced the deficit to just four points. The visitors tried to maintain their lead, but Bacon stepped up, scoring nine straight points to bring the gap down to just one. Avtodor responded with a three-pointer from Jones, and the final minute of the half saw both teams engage in a chaotic exchange of missed shots — 39:43 at halftime.
After the break, Zenit came out even stronger. Within the first few minutes of the third quarter, Hunter finished in transition to give the hosts their first lead of the match. The game then slowed down, becoming more physical with frequent stoppages. Despite Saratov’s efforts to stay competitive, Zenit gradually took full control: Hunter dominated in the paint, Karasev added a crucial 3+2, and White executed an impressive drive to the basket. Heading into the final period, Zenit led 67:52.
Zenit sealed the victory in the fourth quarter. With well-coordinated team play and a standout performance from Dwayne Bacon, the home team extended their lead to 23 points and confidently closed out the game. The final score — 91:68.
Top performers for Zenit: Dwayne Bacon (25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block), Trent Frazier (15 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound) and Sergey Karasev (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist).
In the next round of the VTB United League regular season, Zenit will face Pari Nizhny Novgorod on the road. The match against the "citizens" will take place on March 19, with tip-off scheduled for 19:30 St. Petersburg time.
