Zenit U21 takes revenge against Loko in the second game

The youth team of the blue-whites concluded a two-day series against Lokomotiv Kuban-2 with today's match. Both games with the Krasnodar team took place on the court of the Basketball Academy on November 13 and 14.

The opening game went in favor of the visitors. Throughout the first half, the teams were neck and neck, but a third-quarter surge led Loko to victory in that match — 60:71. The most productive players for Zenit U21 in the first game were Dmitry Filippov (13 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, and 1 steal) and Mikhail Presnyakov (12 points, 4 blocks, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist).

The second day's match followed a completely different scenario. The St. Petersburg team immediately took the initiative and crushed their opponents — 88:63. The best performances among Zenit's players today were once again by Mikhail Presnyakov (16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), along with Pavel Logunov (14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and German Mushchinskiy (13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals).

Pavel Logunov, Zenit U21 guard:

We played at a high level in the second match. We showcased our game. Our defense was much tougher, which allowed us to take away many of Lokomotiv's offensive opportunities. On offense, we made the shots we created, which we failed to do in the first match.

Roman Knyazev, Zenit U21 head coach:

It's frustrating that we are losing games we should be winning. But there's a positive note in the fact that the team can adjust within a day and correct the mistakes made. Today, we truly saw a different team, and from the very beginning, the guys showed that they were seriously determined.

The youth team now faces a two-week break, after which they will head to Moscow for the next round of the VTB United Youth League. The matches against CSKA-Junior will take place on November 29 and 30.