Zenit U21 has completed a series of friendly matches
September 19: CSKA-Junior vs. Zenit-M — 85:56
The first match against CSKA did not go well for the St. Petersburg side. From the first to the last minute, the hosts controlled the game. The second quarter was the most competitive but also the least productive in terms of scoring. The best players for Zenit in this game were German Muschinskiy (10 points + 3 rebounds + 1 steal), Mikhail Presnyakov (9 points + 7 rebounds + 1 block), and Timofey Komissarov (7 points + 4 rebounds + 3 assists + 2 steals).
September 20: TSSP-Khimki-2 vs. Zenit-M — 62:71
The top scorers in the victorious game for Zenit were Pavel Logunov (13 points), Ivan Vasiliev (10) and Georgy Mordvinov (9).
September 21: MBA-MAI-Junior vs. Zenit-M — 73:67
Roman Knyazev's squad won the first quarter with a 10-point lead, but by the middle of the game MBA reduced the gap and tied the score. The final quarter also ended in a tie — 12:12, sending the game into overtime. In extra time, the home team proved stronger. The best players for Zenit were Dmitry Chikishev (11 points + 3 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal), Alexander Porotnikov (9 points + 2 assists + 2 steals), and Timur Ivanov (8 points + 12 rebounds + 3 assists + 2 steals).
Roman Knyazev, head coach of Zenit U21:
The series of friendly games allowed us to test ourselves against the strongest teams in the league. We got a lot to think about and identified areas that need improvement. We also had a chance to see all the players in action, and we're starting to determine each player's role on the team and the aspects where they need development.
On September 28 and 29, the Basketball Academy will host the Federation Cup. Along with Zenit's youth team, amateur teams Tauras and G-Drive, as well as the student team of GUTID, will participate in the tournament.
