Zenit’s farm team defeats Metallurg in a thrilling finish
After a recent hard-fought victory over Chelbasket (93:91), Oliver Popovic’s team faced another home game in the Fonbet Super League. The blue-whites trailed for much of the match but once again clinched victory in the final moments.
Pavel Zemskiy, Egor Evstafiev, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay took the court at the Basketball Academy from the very first seconds. The game opened with a three-pointer from Metallurg, to which the home team quickly responded with a two-point shot plus a foul from Dulkay. Following this exchange, the game’s pace accelerated. At first, the visiting team excelled with their three-point shots, while Petersburg's players focused on inside shots. Zenit-2's starting five performed cohesively on offense in the early minutes, and the first quarter ended with the guests narrowly leading 18:19.
For nearly half of the second quarter, a unique anomaly emerged: Petersburg’s team hadn’t hit a single long-range shot, and the Magnitogorsk team hadn’t taken a single free throw. Zenit’s captain, Elkhan Akhmedov, finally broke the three-point drought on teams eighth attempt, pushing his team to a five-point lead. After a timeout, Metallurg earned their first free throws due to a foul by Dulkay. Although Zenit seemed to be gaining momentum, with Akhmedov landing another three and Zemsky scoring emphatically, the Ural team launched a comeback, and by halftime, the scoreboard read 34:37 in favor of the visitors.
Zenit claimed the third quarter largely thanks to their leader, Daniil Aksenov, who took control, hitting three consecutive three-pointers, restoring his team’s five-point lead. This time, the home team managed to maintain their advantage with effective plays from Zemskiy, Prokopenko and Khodorich, ending the quarter at 57:50.
The previous quarter’s run provided a solid foundation for victory. The blue-whites managed to sustain a comfortable lead early in the final period, but four consecutive three-pointers from Metallurg brought them back into the game, setting up a dramatic conclusion. From that point, the lead shifted constantly, with neither side pulling ahead significantly. Zenit’s players answered shots from Sarafankin, Karvanen and Koltsov with two-pointers from Zemskiy, Aksenov and Akhmedov. In the final minute, the home team led by three, a gap they managed to preserve until the final buzzer, finishing the game 80:77.
The top scorers for Zenit-2 were Pavel Zemskiy (24 points + 14 rebounds + 2 assists + 1 steal), Daniil Aksenov (16 points + 5 assists + 2 rebounds + 2 steals) and Vladislav Samukhin (14 points + 8 rebounds + 1 assist, steal, and block).
Zenit’s second team will now face CSKA-2 in the second leg of the Russian Cup Round of 16, which will also take place in St. Petersburg. The game is scheduled for November 6 at the Basketball Academy court (Severnaya Road, 12), starting at 19:00 local time. Entry is free for all fans, and the match will be broadcast on Okko Sport.
