Zenit hits the hundred and defeats Pari NN on home court
Zenit defeated Pari Nizhny Novgorod at home with a score of 102:80. The match took place as part of the 11th round of the VTB United League regular season. Here’s a detailed recap of the game.
Forward Georgy Zhbanov, who had been absent for nearly a month due to an injury sustained in the previous game against Nizhny Novgorod, was included in today’s roster. However, Sergey Karasev and Andre Roberson missed the match. The starting lineup for the hosts featured Trent Frazier, Levi Randolph, Neno Dimitrijevic, Andrey Vorontsevich, and Luka Samanic.
The scoring was opened by Zenit’s Croatian newcomer — Luka confidently converted an and-one, putting his team ahead. Pari NN responded with a three-pointer from Platonov and a drive from Karpenkov. For a time, the visitors threatened to take the lead, but Frazier and Randolph (twice) knocked down threes, keeping Zenit in control. Until the end of the first quarter, the St. Petersburg team managed to dictate the game, and Zhbanov entered the court to the applause of the fans. The opening quarter ended 21:17.
The second quarter began with a surge from the Volga side. Their leader, Isaiah Washington, drained two consecutive three-pointers, forcing Zenit’s head coach to call a timeout. After the short break, the Blue-White-Sky Blues regained the lead thanks to two long-range shots from Frazier. The game then continued in an even, defensive battle on both ends. Despite the visitors’ disciplined play throughout the half, Zenit managed to pull ahead by 11 points at halftime — 53:41.
After returning to the court, the hosts continued to gain momentum: Martiuk and Randolph added more points with drives, extending the run from the previous quarter. Within minutes, Zenit led by 14. At that moment, Nizhny Novgorod mounted a response, putting together a 9:1 run and significantly cutting the deficit. However, Zenit refused to let the game slip: Frazier and Zhbanov hit from deep, and Martiuk converted a 2+1 play. Before the final quarter, the score at the CSC Arena scoreboard read 77:66.
In the fourth quarter, the opponent still hoped for a comeback, trying in every way to reduce the gap. Meanwhile, accurate three-pointers from Neno, Vlad, and Luka helped Zenit keep the visitors at bay. In the final minutes, the score grew lopsided, and Randolph scored the team’s hundredth point from the free-throw line — 102:80, a convincing victory for the Blue-White-Sky Blues.
The top performers for Zenit today were Trent Frazier (27 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals), Levi Randolph (25 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals), and Luka Samanic (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist).
In the next game — the last before the national team break — Zenit will face CSKA in Moscow. The match will take place on Sunday, November 23, at the Megasport Arena. Tip-off is at 16:30 St. Petersburg time.
