Zenit claimed their ninth consecutive victory in the VTB United League

Zenit defeated Enisey Krasnoyarsk away with a score of 71:74. The match of the 32nd round of the VTB United League was evenly contested, but the ending belonged to the Blue-White-Sky Blues. This victory became the ninth in a row in the tournament for the St. Petersburg club.

Dmitry Uzinskiy, who is recovering from an injury sustained in the recent game against PARMA, was not included in the squad for today’s match. Zenit’s starting lineup featured Trent Frazier, Sergey Karasev, Andrey Vorontsevich, Andrey Martiuk, and Luka Šamanić. The game also marked the debut for Ismaël Bako in the Blue-White-Sky Blues jersey.

Zenit responded to an early run by the home team with a three-pointer from Zhbanov and a putback under the rim by Šamanić after an offensive rebound. Gradually, the St. Petersburg side tightened up their defense, while their offense kept producing points. When Zenit took a five-point lead, Enisey called a timeout. The adjustments by the Krasnoyarsk head coach worked, and the hosts managed to turn the game around and take the lead. The first quarter ended 17:16 in favor of Enisey.

In the second quarter, the Krasnoyarsk team maintained the lead for a long stretch. The game remained fairly even as Zenit searched for their opportunities. Moon was particularly active, scoring both from close range and from distance. Closer to halftime, Zenit managed to seize the initiative: Zhbanov scored from the free-throw line and mid-range, Šamanić hit from beyond the arc, and Moon finished a putback — 32:36 for Zenit at halftime.

After returning from the locker room, the Blue-White-Sky Blues tried to keep their opponent at a distance. The lead fluctuated between two and seven points. Toward the end of the third quarter, however, Dejan Radonjić’s team made a powerful run and built a double-digit advantage before the final quarter — 48:58.

In the final stretch, Enisey leaders Danilo Tasić and Matt Coleman dragged their team back into clutch time. Until the very last second, the Krasnoyarsk side searched for a way to complete the comeback, but Zenit held firm and did not allow their victory to slip away. The final score was 71:74.

The most productive Zenit players today were Luka Šamanić (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals), Xavier Moon (16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), and Georgy Zhbanov (13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block).

Zenit will play their next game away as well — on March 18, Dejan Radonjić’s squad will face MBA-MAI in Moscow. The match will take place at Basket Hall and will tip off at 19:00 St. Petersburg time.