Zenit crushes Igokea on home court
Zenit secured a more than convincing victory over Igokea with a score of 103:72. For the club from the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, this game was their first away match in the WINLINE Basket Cup. Here are the most important highlights from today's match.
During the ceremonial opening of the match the national anthems of the Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation were played. The live performance of the anthems was accompanied by a performance from St. Petersburg fans, who unfurled massive flags in sectors 1 and 12.
The starting five for Zenit in the final match of 2025 included Trent Frazier, Sergey Karasev, Andrey Martiuk, Levi Randolph, and Luka Samanic, who opened the scoring with an accurate shot from beyond the arc. However, the guests immediately responded with their sharp attacks, scoring 7 points in a row. This move by the Balkan side did not go unnoticed, and Luka with Levi each scored an and-one in turn, after which three-pointers started flying from our side again. Zenit made an 8:0 run and forced Igokea to call their first timeout of the match — 17:12 midway through the quarter. But even after the minute pause, the gap continued to grow. The Petersburgers found the key to the opponent and repeatedly broke down the guests' defense. Igokea, meanwhile, although demonstrating a decent shooting percentage, still could not provide proper competition — 34:20 at the end of the opening segment.
The second quarter was less productive. Several misses and turnovers by Zenit allowed the opponents to reduce the deficit to 6 points. However, Aleksander Sekulic's team managed to hold onto their lead. The closer it got to the long break, the better their offense blossomed, and the 14:3 run is proof of that: Martiuk, Randolph, Karasev, Dimitrijevic scored from close range, while Vorontsevich charged from downtown and didn't miss. The teams went to rest with the score 52:35 in favor of Zenit.
But even after the break, the hosts continued to hold their ground, overwhelming the club from Republika Srpska with long-range shots, just like in the first quarter. Zenit started the half with a couple of threes from Luka and Levi, briefly reaching a "+23" lead. After another timeout from their head coach, Igokea players remembered how to score, but the gap was already too massive. Meanwhile, Frazier, Zhbanov, and Martiuk caught a hot streak; their scoring run brought St. Petersburg close to a gap of almost 30 points and, in the near future, to a hundred. The third quarter ended with Uzinskiy's buzzer-beater on the drive — 82:54.
In the final playing segment, Aleksander Sekulic's team allowed themselves to relax a little and immediately paid for it. While Zenit's offense went silent, the guests made a 7:0 run and made the Petersburg fans a bit nervous. However, accurate three-pointers from Neno and Levi dismissed those thoughts, and the Blue-White-Sky Blues brought the match to its logical conclusion. The final score was 103:72.
The most productive players for the Petersburgers: Levi Randolph (21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists), Georgy Zhbanov (19 points, 2 steals, 1 rebound), and Luka Samanic (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal).
Zenit will play its next match already in 2026. The VTB United League game against BETCITY PARMA will take place on January 4 in Perm. Tip-off is at 16:00 St. Petersburg time.
