Zenit loses to UNICS in home game
Zenit lost to UNICS 77:104 in a home game of the 2nd round of the VTB United League regular season. Here’s a detailed recap of today’s matchup.
Georgy Zhbanov, Levi Randolph, Alex Poythress, Neno Dimitrijevic and Andrey Vorontsevich started the game against the team from Kazan. Just like in the game against Avtodor, Sergey Karasev and Andre Roberson missed today’s match.
Levi Randolph opened the scoring with a mid-range jumper, but the visitors immediately responded with a three-pointer from Paris Lee. Every action met with a reaction — in the next possession, Zenit forward Andrey Vorontsevich answered with a long-range shot of his own. Both teams traded sharp attacks, though many attempts missed their mark. That was until Levi drove to the basket — from the very start, the American guard displayed high concentration and contributed effectively both offensively and on the defensive boards. UNICS briefly pulled ahead by four thanks to Marcus Bingham’s efforts, but that didn’t sit well with the home team or the fans. At that moment, Neno decided to take control — under the loud cheers of the stands, he sank back-to-back threes. The intense back-and-forth and commitment on both sides left the first quarter with only a minimal advantage for the visitors — 18:20.
The next stretch of play resembled a tug-of-war once again. A drive by UNICS center Jalen Reynolds was answered by a free throw from Frazier, then his own layup, and later a precise shot by Martiuk. Meanwhile, both teams’ big men traded powerful dunks — after a highlight by Pierre Dyshawn, Alex Poythress delighted the crowd with a slam of his own. UNICS’ five-point lead forced Zenit head coach Aleksander Sekulic to call his first timeout of the game. After the break, Zenit lost possession through Dimitrijevic, but the Macedonian guard quickly made up for it with another three-pointer. The game had special meaning for Neno — he made his name with UNICS, was named regular-season MVP, and won the VTB League title there. Having leveled the score, Zenit pressed forward to regain the lead. Levi, who was on fire tonight, hit a deep three, and Alex added two free throws, putting Zenit up 43:39 with 1:39 left before halftime. However, the visitors had the final word — after Velimir Perasovic called a timeout, UNICS tied the game. Sekulic responded with a timeout of his own, but Dimitrijevic missed the final shot from beyond the arc. The teams went to the locker room tied at 45:45.
The second half began disastrously for Zenit — a 2:12 run forced another timeout from the coaching staff. Right after the break, Neno hit a three, but two more from C.J Bryce and another from Paris Lee extended UNICS’ lead to 51:66 midway through the third quarter. Zenit fought to close the gap — Vorontsevich scored with a hook shot, Poythress converted free throws, Martiuk completed an "and-one", and Frazier drove to the basket successfully, cutting the deficit to 10. UNICS took another timeout, but Zenit’s momentum didn’t fade — Uzinskiy and Shcherbenev both connected from deep, bringing the score to 66:74 before the final quarter.
Unfortunately, in the last ten minutes, the visitors not only held their advantage but increased it. Despite Zenit’s efforts, UNICS’ solid defense held firm early in the fourth quarter, and Perasovic’s team pulled away decisively. Zenit couldn’t mount a comeback in the remaining time. Final score — 77:104.
Zenit’s top scorers were Neno Dimitrijevic (14 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal), Levi Randolph (13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) and Alex Poythress (12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block).
On Wednesday, October 8, Zenit will play its first game in the new WINLINE Basket Cup tournament — against Uralmash in Yekaterinburg.
Then, on Sunday, October 12, Zenit will return home to face a long-standing rival — CSKA Moscow. Tip-off is at 18:00 local time. Tickets are available on the club’s official website.
