Zenit-2 clinches the victory in the third match of the quarterfinals of the Fonbet Super League
The third game of the quarterfinal series against Novosibirsk ended with a tense victory for Zenit-2 in the final moments. In the decisive stretch, Oliver Popovic's team managed to seize the initiative and secure a comfortable lead. More details on the first away game of the blue-whites team in the playoffs.
Starting five of Zenit-2: Pavel Zemskiy, Vladislav Samukhin, Ivan Prokopenko, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay.
The match started at a high pace with sharp attacks from both sides, but gradually the initiative shifted to the blue-whites team. One of the key factors in the successful start of Zenit-2 was the high accuracy of the team's leaders with three-point shots. Three-pointers from Zemskiy, Aksenov and Khodorych quickly gave the guests a comfortable advantage — by the end of the first quarter, the St. Petersburg team led by "+12". Solid defense and confidence in attack allowed them to finish the opening period with a score of 17:25.
However, as in the previous game, the second quarter brought some difficulties for Oliver Popovic's team. The attack of Zenit-2 lost its rhythm, and the shots became less accurate. Meanwhile, Novosibirsk started to steadily reduce the deficit. Two accurate three-pointers by the home team captain Dmitry Makeev in the middle of the quarter leveled the score and, at the same time, shook the guests. From that moment on, the game went into "tug-of-war" mode: the hosts would repeatedly tie the game, but Zenit-2 always found a way to lead by "+2". Towards the end of the first half, Makeev finally put his team ahead with a precise long-range shot, but Aksenov responded with a buzzer-beater from a distance, keeping the lead for his team before the break — 41:43.
The third quarter began with tough competition: a lot of fouls, stoppages and contact. The first points after the break came from Zemskiy off a rebound, but then Novosibirsk made a powerful run. The experienced forward of the hosts, Alexey Babushkin, stood out, hitting several accurate three-pointers and confidently converting free throws to give the Siberians a 7-point lead. It seemed this could be the turning point. However, Zenit-2 quickly regained their composure. The active play of the trio Krivyh-Zemskiy-Prokopenko allowed not only to eliminate the deficit but also to regain the lead. Yet Babushkin made another three-pointer at the buzzer, tying the game before the final quarter — 61:61.
The final ten minutes were a back-and-forth battle with successful periods from both sides. Aksenov and Prokopenko gave the guests a 5-point lead, but Babushkin and Semenyuk once again tied the score. Closer to the middle of the quarter, the St. Petersburg team managed to build a cushion, allowing them to control the finish. An additional blow to the hosts came with Babushkin's disqualification for excessive fouls. In the final moments, Pavel Zemskiy shone, recording a double-double and scoring over 30 points, along with Daniil Aksenov, who made five successful three-pointers throughout the match. However, the real "unsung hero" was center Ilya Krivyh: his double-double, strong rebounds and crucial points in the final moments helped Zenit-2 maintain their lead. The point difference fluctuated between 3-6 points, but the guests didn’t rush, confidently controlling the game and victory for the St. Petersburg team — 80:88.
The best players on the court for Zenit-2 were Pavel Zemskiy (34 points + 11 rebounds + 1 steal), Daniil Aksenov (21 points + 5 assists + 2 rebounds + 1 steal), Ilya Krivyh (13 points + 10 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal) and Ivan Prokopenko (13 points + 6 assists + 5 rebounds + 1 steal).
The series score is 2:1 in favor of the blue-whites team. The fourth game of the Fonbet Super League quarterfinals will also take place at the "Sever" sports complex in Novosibirsk. The match will be held on April 8 at 15:30 St. Petersburg time. The broadcast will be available on the website of the Russian Basketball Federation.
