Zenit lost to Uralmash in a home game
Zenit suffered a home defeat to Uralmash with a score of 69:82. The Round 38 game of the VTB United League regular season took place today, April 7, on the court of CSC Arena in Saint Petersburg. All the key moments of the game are available in the report on the Blue-White-Sky Blues' official website.
Zenit’s starting lineup against the team from Yekaterinburg: Trent Frazier, Johnny Juzang, Andrey MartIuk, Vladislav Emchenko, and Luka Šamanić.
Already in the first minute, the visitors scored a pair of two-point shots and quickly took the lead. Zenit, in turn, struggled to score until Šamanić drew a foul in the opponent’s paint — the moment required some time for review by the referees. The pause worked in favor of the hosts: Luka made his free throws, and soon after Trent hit a shot from beyond the arc — giving Zenit the lead. The St. Petersburg team did not stop there: Šamanić added two more free throws, and Emchenko made a three-pointer, completing a 10:0 run for his team. The visitors reacted immediately. Uralmash performed very well from long range early on, and the score of 12:15 forced Dejan Radonjić to take the first timeout of the game. The head coach’s adjustments worked, and eight consecutive points (including three-pointers from Vorontsevich and Emchenko) returned the lead to Zenit. This fast-paced, high-scoring exchange characterized the entire first quarter, which ended in a tie — 24:24 after ten minutes.
In the second quarter, Zenit felt confident for a time. The lead returned and reached 8 points, with the hosts’ foreign players — Frazier, Moon, and Juzang — playing a significant role, improving their stats and pushing the team forward. However, toward the end of the period, Zenit’s offense stalled. Some chaos, turnovers, and missed shots allowed the opponent to easily get back into the game. The teams went into halftime with the score 41:39 in favor of the team from the Northern Capital.
The next half began under Uralmash’s control. While Zenit once again experienced a scoring drought, the Yekaterinburg team gradually converted their chances while defending effectively. When the gap reached five points, Zenit’s coaching staff called another timeout to correct the situation on the court. It worked, but only for a few minutes. Two three-pointers by Juzang and a dunk by Roberson allowed Zenit to tie the score. However, the visitors soon scored five consecutive points again and restored the same gap — 56:61 in favor of Uralmash before the decisive quarter.
Throughout the final period, Zenit played from behind. The deficit on the scoreboard constantly changed, narrowing at times to minus two and later reaching the final minus thirteen. Despite all attempts by Zenit to turn the tide of the game, Uralmash frankly looked fresher in the closing moments. The game ended with a score of 69:82.
The top scorers for the St. Petersburg team today were Trent Frazier (14 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal) and Johnny Juzang (14 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 1 block).
Zenit will play their next games as part of the home WINLINE Basket Final Four, which will take place in Saint Petersburg at CSC Arena from April 10 to April 12. In the semifinal, the Blue-White-Sky Blues will face Moscow’s CSKA (April 10, 19:45).
