Zenit scores a hundred at the start of the playoffs
Zenit secured a dominant win over PARMA in the first game of the VTB United League quarterfinal series. The blue-whites blues kicked off their playoff run on their home court at the CSC Arena. Here’s everything you need to know about the clash with the team from Perm in our match report.
Zenit’s starting five featured captain Sergey Karasev, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich.
The match began with a captain's three-pointer. The visitors responded with accurate free throws from Ruzhentsev and a long-range shot by Cheburkin. Early in the game, PARMA played tough defense, frequently sending Zenit players to the free-throw line. The pace was high and the contest tight, with the lead changing hands several times. But thanks to a three from Frazier, a couple of strong drives from Bacon, and a dunk by Poythress, Zenit ended the quarter ahead — 22:16.
In the second quarter, Xavi Pascual’s squad took firm control. Contributions from Alexey Shved, Okaro White and Andrey Vorontsevich, especially from beyond the arc, helped stretch the lead. PARMA kept trying to stay in the game and showed some resilience. They capitalized on their chances, with former Zenit player Royce Hamm standing out by scoring 12 points in the quarter. Still, Zenit’s well-balanced offense and solid defense gave them a comfortable 47:37 lead at halftime.
After the break, the St. Petersburg team broke the game wide open. A 12:3 run at the start of the third gave Zenit a 19-point lead that seemed out of reach for the Ural side. The gap only grew from there. A buzzer-beating corner three by Georgy Zhbanov capped the quarter at 76:51.
The outcome was no longer in doubt. The only remaining question was whether Zenit would hit the 100-point mark. With the second game of the series just around the corner, both teams shifted to cruise control. More court time went to Egor Ryzhov and Alexander Shcherbenev, who made the most of their minutes. Every Zenit player who took the court ended up on the scoreboard. It was Zhbanov who sealed the century mark with another three-pointer. Final score — 102:68.
Zenit's top scorers were Dwayne Bacon (21 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), Georgy Zhbanov (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block) and Alex Poythress (11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist).
The second quarterfinal game will take place the day after tomorrow, on April 24, with tip-off at 19:30. The matchup will again be held at CSC Arena in St. Petersburg. Tickets are available on our website.
