Zenit-2 reach the quarterfinals of the Gazprombank Russian Cup
The Blue-White-Sky Blues farm team proved stronger than Surgut’s Yugra on aggregate: after a six-point away defeat, Oliver Popovic’s squad managed to take a hard-fought revenge on their home court, snatching a victory with the required margin in overtime. For the first time in history, Zenit-2 will play in the quarterfinals of the Gazprombank Russian Cup.
The match started at a high pace from the first minutes, with a tough battle for every ball. The teams traded sharp attacks, and although Krivykh’s two-pointer opened the scoring, the visitors led for most of the quarter. Early on, Yugra’s veteran Alexey Kurtsevich stood out, scoring several mid-range shots. Fedor Manikhin and Vsevolod Tishin were also accurate from beyond the arc. Zenit-2, meanwhile, did not have a clearly defined leader in the opening minutes. The first quarter ended with three accurate free throws from the Blue-White-Sky Blues captain Artem Khodorich — 19:23.
In the second quarter, Zenit-2 increased the pressure on the Siberians’ defense and took the lead several times. The game remained extremely competitive, and this period went to the hosts. Zenit-2 had a chance to take the lead before halftime, but Ginko’s three-pointer was off target, and the visitors converted a drive on the counterattack — 40:43.
After returning from the locker room, Yugra tried to pull away, quickly scoring five points. However, Zenit responded immediately, neutralizing the eight-point deficit and taking the lead thanks to several fast breaks. Once the situation stabilized, both sides resumed their tug of war, swapping the lead multiple times. The third quarter ended 59:63 in Surgut’s favor.
In the final stretch — or so it seemed — the St. Petersburg team faced the challenge of not only erasing a four-point gap but also overcoming the six-point deficit from the first game. And they succeeded. Step by step, thanks to the effective play of the Prokopenko–Krivykh–Ginko trio, Zenit-2 built an eight-point lead. However, the game was destined to go beyond regulation. The buzzer signaled an 88:82 score, sending the matchup into overtime.
In the extra period, Zenit-2 held firm. The margin fluctuated between five and nine points, but the hosts never allowed Yugra to get closer. A well-executed drive by the Evstafyev–Krivykh duo sealed the final score — 97:90.
The top performers for Zenit-2 were Daniil Ginko (22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists), Ilya Krivykh (22 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block), and Ivan Prokopenko (16 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound).
In the next stage of the tournament, Zenit-2 will face a team from the VTB United League — Pari Nizhny Novgorod. The first game of the matchup will take place on January 7 in St. Petersburg, and the second leg on January 28 in Nizhny Novgorod. The exact start times will be announced later.
