Zenit loses to UNICS at home
The 2nd round of the WINLINE Basket Cup group stage against Kazan’s UNICS ended in a defeat for Zenit with a score of 72:91.
Starting five for the Blue-White-Sky Blues: Trent Frazier, Sergey Karasev, Andrey Martiuk, Andrey Vorontsevich, and Vladislav Emchenko.
Both teams exchanged successful plays in the opening minute: UNICS forward Mikhail Belenitskii hit a three-pointer, to which Zenit responded immediately with an alley-oop from Frazier to Martiuk. However, UNICS then scored six points in a row, forcing Zenit’s coaching staff to call an early timeout. Even after the short break, the initiative remained with the visitors. Zenit tried to close the gap, finding their rhythm from beyond the arc — Shcherbenev and Frazier confidently made their threes, cutting the deficit to a single possession. Still, the quarter ended in favor of the guests — 23:32 after the first ten minutes.
Zenit continued their chase, relying heavily on three-point shots, which were falling well that night. The game featured plenty of fouls, especially from the UNICS players. In the second quarter alone, Zenit earned 15 free throws, converting 12 of them. However, Aleksander Sekulic’s team couldn’t level the score before halftime — 44:47.
After the break, both teams struggled to score for several minutes. In the third minute, Frazier made a steal, broke away, and finished at the rim. The visitors immediately answered with a three-pointer from former Zenit player Denis Zakharov. The game slowed down to a physical, low-tempo pace, which seemed to suit the hosts. Midway through the quarter, thanks to baskets from Martiuk and Shcherbenev from close range, Zenit managed to tie the game — but UNICS responded with an 18:4 run, turning the tide decisively. Heading into the final period, the scoreboard read 56:70.
The fourth quarter opened with long-range shots from C.J. Bryce and Marcus Bingham, cementing UNICS’s lead. Given Zenit’s roster issues and short bench, such a large deficit proved impossible to overcome. UNICS maintained control until the final buzzer and secured the win — 72:91.
Zenit’s top performers in the game were Trent Frazier (22 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals), Andrey Martiuk (20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block), and Alexander Shcherbenev (12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal)
On Saturday, November 9, the Blue-White-Sky Blues will play away against Lokomotiv Kuban in the VTB United League regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for 14:00 St. Petersburg time.
Zenit’s next WINLINE Basket Cup group stage match will take place on December 4, when Aleksander Sekulic’s team faces Igokea from the Republic of Srpska, also away.
