Zenit scores 100+ for the third straight game and beats Enisey at home
Today’s game against the Krasnoyarsk side was the first for Xavier Moon since his return to Zenit. The American guard was included on the roster, while the starting five featured Trent Frazier, Andrey Martiuk, Georgy Zhbanov, Levi Randolph, and Luka Šamanić.
After a slightly sluggish start and a couple of missed good chances, Zenit allowed the visitors to open the scoring from the free-throw line, but then took full control of the game. Martiuk and Šamanić successfully attacked the rim, while Frazier hit from beyond the arc. With the score at 11:4, Enisey head coach Jovica Arsić called a timeout. After the pause, Zenit kept pushing forward. Buckets by Tasić and Ryzhov (the Blue-White-Sky Blues center is playing for Krasnoyarsk on loan) were answered by another three from Trent and a strong drive by Andrey, and Luka’s and-one gave Zenit an 11-point lead. Toward the end of the quarter, Xavier Moon appeared on the CSK Arena court. Zenit fans greeted the guard’s return with loud applause, and he immediately thanked them with a scoring drive. The first quarter ended 28:17 in Zenit’s favor.
At the start of the second period, Andre Roberson caught fire. In just a few minutes, the American forward added seven more points to his tally, scoring on a layup, a dunk, and a three-pointer. The Blue-White-Sky Blues’ lead became overwhelming — by the midpoint of the quarter Zenit was up 40:23. At that moment, Enisey managed to slow the pace somewhat and respond both defensively and offensively. Zenit, meanwhile, went to the free-throw line more often, and not all attempts resulted in points. By halftime, the scoreboard read 50:30.
After returning from the locker room, Dejan Radonjić’s team completely shut down the visitors’ offense, allowing Enisey to score just 10 points in 10 minutes. Zenit, meanwhile, made the most of its offensive potential. Long-range shooting was particularly effective, with three-pointers from Emchenko, Frazier, Šamanić, and Vorontsevich. Moon closed the third quarter with a fast-break finish. Before the final period, the hosts led 81:40.
In the fourth quarter, the St. Petersburg side steadily moved toward the three-digit mark. Zenit reached the coveted 100 points thanks to a drive by Moon, and the final buzzer sealed a 106:56 victory for the home team.
The top scorers for the Blue-White-Sky Blues were Luka Šamanić (18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal), Levi Randolph (16 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 block), and Andrey Martiuk (15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist).
In the next round of the regular season, Zenit will again play at home, facing Moscow’s MBA-MAI. The game will take place on Saturday, February 7, at CSC Arena and will tip off at 13:30 St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available on the club’s website.
