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Zenit wins Kondrashin and Belov Cup for the fifth time

September 9, 2025

Today, the traditional preseason tournament — the Vladimir Kondrashin and Alexander Belov Cup — concluded in Saint Petersburg. In the final, Zenit defeated UNICS 89:71, claiming the trophy for the fifth consecutive time. Here’s our report on how the final day of the tournament honoring the legends of Leningrad basketball unfolded.


In the bronze medal match, Dynamo Primorye faced Perm’s BETCITY PARMA. Despite the difference in team levels, the match was not an easy ride for the Ural squad. The Vladivostok team fought for victory until the very end, losing only in the final moments. The game ended 73:78 in favor of PARMA, which secured third place in the Kondrashin and Belov Cup.


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But the main event of the evening was yet to come. Zenit’s starting five for the final against UNICS featured captain Sergey Karasev, Georgy Zhbanov, Neno Dimitrijevic, Alex Poythress and Andrey Vorontsevich.


At the start of the match, the teams exchanged three-point attempts. While Ivan Belousov missed, Sergey Karasev opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Soon, guest guard Dmitry Kulagin showcased his long-range shooting by hitting three consecutive threes, while Zenit mainly scored from free throws. The match was tightly contested from the first minutes, with tough physical play. It was hard to believe the teams were still in preseason preparation. The lead constantly changed, and both sides fought for every point. By the end of the first quarter, Levi Randolph’s buzzer-beater brought the score to a narrow 21:22.


The tug-of-war continued in the second ten-minute period. The two giants of Russian basketball, both having significantly updated their rosters during the offseason, demonstrated an exceptionally high level of competitiveness on every part of the court. Particularly memorable were the highlights by the Blue-White-Sky Blues team: Frazier hit shots from distance, Poythress thrilled the crowd with signature dunks, and the Saint Petersburg audience enthusiastically supported their team. By the middle of the quarter, Zenit led by 7 points, but could not maintain the advantage. At halftime, the guests were ahead 36:38.


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During the break, a traditional friendly match took place between veterans of the Leningrad women’s Spartak team and a team of theater and film actors. Legendary Soviet and Russian coach Anatoly Shteinbok opened the game. In this friendly match, the veterans won 11:9, and soon the friendly atmosphere gave way to the battle for the Cup.


From the start of the third quarter, it was clear that the hosts would not settle for a trailing role. Andre Roberson scored the first points, Andrey Martiuk made a put-back and a dunk on a fast break, and Frazier hit another long-range shot, giving the team the lead. An 18:4 run by the home team provided a comfortable advantage going into the final quarter. Georgy Zhbanov became one of the heroes of the period, quickly rising among Zenit’s top scorers. Before the fourth quarter, the CSC Arena scoreboard showed 63:56 in favor of the Saint Petersburg team.


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In the final quarter, the pace and intensity did not drop, though scoring slowed: in the first two and a half minutes, the teams combined for only one free throw. The drought ended with MartIuk’s thunderous three-pointer and Zhbanov’s layup, extending Zenit’s lead to 13 points. UNICS head coach called a timeout, after which the Kazan team managed to score their first free throws in this quarter. However, they could not turn the game around. Zenit secured the victory, winning the Kondrashin and Belov Cup for the fifth consecutive time. Final score — 89:71.


The top scorers for the winners were Georgy Zhbanov (25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists), Trent Frazier (17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) and Alex Poythress (17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal).


After the tournament, a special panel named the best players. The MVP of the 2025 Kondrashin and Belov Cup was Zenit forward Georgy Zhbanov. A symbolic starting five was also selected, including UNICS guard Dmitry Kulagin, Zenit guard Trent Frazier, Dynamo forward Dmitry Doynikov, BETCITY PARMA forward Terrell Carter, and Zenit center Alex Poythress.

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