Zenit U21 takes two wins from Moscow
The youth team of Zenit defeated CSKA-Junior twice, finishing away tour undefeated. The games took place on November 18 and 19 in Moscow.
In the first match, the army team made a 15:0 run at the very beginning, gaining an advantage within minutes. Despite this early setback, the Blue-White-Sky Blues gradually found their rhythm and managed to take control after the long break. The third quarter proved decisive, with Zenit U21 winning it 22:6, and after the final buzzer, the scoreboard showed 57:69 in favor of Saint Petersburg. The team’s top scorer in this match was Mikhail Presnyakov, who recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
In the second game, the competition was equally intense. Throughout all forty minutes, the lead switched back and forth, but the visitors prevailed in the end — 76:84. The standout player on the court was Alexander Porotnikov, who achieved a double-double: 20 points, 12 assists, and 2 rebounds.
Zenit U21 extended their unbeaten streak in the regular season of the VTB United Youth League to 13 games. Currently, the Petersburg squad holds 2nd place in the standings.
Roman Knyazev, Zenit U21 head coach:
We won two tough games and created a comfortable gap over our rivals in the standings. There were two lapses in each game. We still can’t maintain consistent concentration when switching line-ups. But in any case, I’m grateful to everyone for their effort and character. It’s great that we repeatedly correct our mistakes and find ways out of difficult situations.
Alexander Porotnikov, Zenit U21 guard:
As expected, the matches were quite tight. When we developed a fast break and moved the ball, we managed to make runs. We had defensive problems in both games. It’s always a pleasure to play against CSKA, and even better to finish matches with victories over them. I’d rate my performance as decent; in the first game, I had issues with finishing. Today, I managed to end the match with a double-double without turnovers, which I’m glad about. We are now preparing for the next games!
In the next round, our team will face Enisey-2 in Krasnoyarsk. The games will take place on November 22 at 7:00 and November 23 at 8:00 St. Petersburg time. The broadcast will be available on the League’s website and on VK Video.
