Zenit-2 lost to Novosibirsk in the second quarterfinal match

The second home game of the Fonbet Super League quarterfinal series ended in defeat for the blue-whites against Novosibirsk. The hosts started the match confidently, leading by 9 points, but allowed their opponents not only to equalize but also to take a 13-point lead in the final quarter. Oliver Popovic’s team could not recover from this deficit in the remaining time. Here’s a detailed recap of the game.

Pavel Zemskiy, Ilya Krivyh, Ivan Prokopenko, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay took the court at the Basketball Academy from the first seconds.

At first, the match seemed to follow the script of the first game. The teams kept pace with each other, exchanging successful attacks. However, a few turnovers by the visitors, a precise three-pointer from Aksenov, and drives by Zemskiy allowed Zenit-2 to build a 7-point lead. After a timeout by Novosibirsk, Dulkay added two more points for the blue-whites, but soon, adjustments from Andrey Yendropov began to take effect — Novosibirsk reduced the gap to a single possession. The game resembled a rollercoaster: the hosts responded to the Siberians’ run with their own. Egor Ryzhov, who came off the bench, confidently sank his free throws and made a layup, while Elkhan Akhmedov and Mikhail Dulkay each hit a three-pointer. As a result, Zenit-2 finished the first quarter ahead — 29:22.

While St. Petersburg’s team excelled in offense during the opening period — moving the ball well and hitting long-range shots — their game unraveled in the second quarter. The pace slowed, the game saw more stoppages, and both teams struggled to score. Novosibirsk was the first to break the scoring drought, while the hosts suffered a prolonged scoring slump. Aside from Aksenov’s free throws, the St. Petersburg team managed their first field goal only in the sixth minute — Dulkay scored with a hook shot. By that time, the Siberians had already closed the gap with several successful attacks: Alexander Semenyuk was strong in drives, while Alexey Babushkin delivered a powerful dunk. The second quarter remained tight, with Novosibirsk occasionally taking the lead, but Zenit-2 kept within striking distance — 42:41.

The third quarter was marked by intense competition. Unlike the high-scoring stretches of the first game and the beginning of this one, both teams engaged in a physical battle for every possession. Novosibirsk had the edge, repeatedly pulling ahead by 2-4 points, while Zenit-2 kept responding to level the score. This pattern continued until the final minutes of the quarter when Siberians took a significant lead thanks to a three-point play from Daniil Pasashkov — 70:65.

The decisive ten-minute stretch began with a game-changing run from Novosibirsk. The visitors successfully shut down Zenit-2’s offense and converted several chances in a row. A 13-point deficit proved too much for Oliver Popovic’s squad to overcome. Despite Dulkay, Prokopenko and Aksenov’s efforts to spark a comeback, the Siberian team secured victory in the second playoff match — 97:86. The guests are comparing scores in the Fonbet Super League quarterfinal series, which is moving to Novosibirsk.

Zenit-2’s top performers in this game were Ivan Prokopenko (18 points + 4 assists + 4 steals + 1 rebound), Egor Ryzhov (18 points + 7 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal) and Daniil Aksenov (14 points + 1 rebound + 1 assist + 1 steal).

The next game will take place on April 6 at the "Sever" sports complex. Tip-off is at 13:00 St. Petersburg time. The match will be streamed on the Russian Basketball Federation’s website.