Zenit-2 clinches victory in the final minutes against Chelbasket
At the Basketball Academy court, neighbors in the Fonbet Super League standings, Chelyabinsk’s Chelbasket and the home team, Saint Petersburg’s Zenit-2, faced off. From the start, the visitors pushed the tempo to the maximum, maintaining the intensity and pace until the end.
For today’s starting lineup, the blue-whites coaching staff selected Elkhan Akhmedov, Pavel Zemskiy, Ilya Krivyh, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay. Initially, it seemed that Zenit-2 had the upper hand, with Zemskiy and Dulkay quickly helping the team gain a 4-point lead. However, the Ural team soon found their rhythm, putting together a scoring streak. Especially active was Andrey Toptunov, who scored 11 points in the first quarter and is remembered by St. Petersburg fans from his time in the Zenit system. By mid-quarter, Chelbasket had taken an 8-point lead, prompting Zenit-2's coach Oliver Popovic to call a timeout. Although Zenit-2 struggled to change the game’s direction significantly, Chelyabinsk’s accumulation of fouls worked in their favor, allowing Prokopenko and Aksenov to score from free throws. Starter Egor Ryzhov then entered, making an immediate impact under the ring and influencing the team’s momentum. The main factor shaping the first quarter was Chelbasket’s impressive three-point shooting — missing only once out of six attempts — while Zenit missed all four of their three-point shots, going into the first break with the score at 15:29.
The second quarter also started with three-point shots. Toptunov initially missed, but Andrey Semenov was accurate after grabbing a rebound. In the next attack, Aksenov responded with a three-pointer of his own. Despite the score gap, Zenit’s leaders — Zemskiy, Ryzhov, Prokopenko and Aksenov — continued to coordinate effectively, testing various offensive strategies. At this point, Zenit-2 began to stage a comeback, reducing the deficit to seven points. Their objective was clear: close the gap with Chelbasket by halftime. The first half ended with a pair of three-pointers in the last ten seconds, with Chelbasket leading 44:55 at halftime.
The third quarter started similarly to the game’s opening minutes. Zenit-2 quickly scored four points, closing in on Chelbasket. Meanwhile, the visitors missed three of Semenov’s four free-throw attempts. Zenit-2, pushing forward as a unit, saw standout performances from Mikhail Dulkay, who scored nine consecutive points through layups, dunks on fast breaks, and a three-pointer, giving the home team a burst of energy. Although Misha couldn’t convert an and-one, Aksenov grabbed the rebound, and after a quick series of passes, Artem Khodorich hit a three-pointer, giving Zenit-2 the lead. Within five minutes, they had overturned a 17-point deficit from the first half. The lead changed hands repeatedly, and by the end of the third quarter, the score was tied at 71:71.
The final quarter proved to be the most intense and competitive part of the game. As in the third quarter’s closing minutes, neither side could hold the lead for long, and each point mattered immensely. Zenit’s key players —Zemskiy, Akhmedov, Dulkay and Ryzhov — searched for open shots both inside and beyond the arc while capitalizing on free throws from every Chelbasket foul. Chelbasket’s forward, Andrey Semenov, fouled out, leaving his team without his support in the final stretch. The pivotal moment came when Egor Ryzhov intercepted the ball on Zenit’s side with 42 seconds left, leading to a fast break that drew a foul. With 20.5 seconds remaining, Zenit held a two-point lead, which they managed to preserve, winning the game 93:91.
The top scorers for Zenit-2 were Pavel Zemskiy (19 points, 6 rebounds), Elkhan Akhmedov (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal), Mikhail Dulkay (16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), Egor Ryzhov (15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block) and Daniil Aksenov (15 points, 6 assists).
Zenit-2’s next game is scheduled for Friday, November 1, against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, also at their home court in St. Petersburg. The game starts at 18:00 local time, with free admission for all fans. Live broadcast will be available on the Russian Basketball Federation’s website.
