Zenit-2 scored a hundred in a home match with Irkut
From the start on the Basketball Academy arena, Zenit-2’s starting five included Pavel Zemskiy, Egor Ryzhov, Igor Volkhin, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay.
The first possession went to the visitors, but they failed to capitalize, and in Zenit-2's response, fouls were quickly drawn — Ryzhov opened the scoring with a free throw. Fans then witnessed two spectacular drives: one by Savrasov for Irkut and another by Zemskiy for the blue-whites. Egor and Pavel continued to score, leading a 10:0 run. The hosts took early control, forcing Irkut to call their first timeout. After adjustments from the coaching staff, Irkut’s guard Alexander Ershov hit a three-pointer, narrowing the gap slightly. Volkhin answered with a three of his own, and by the first break, Zenit-2 was ahead 20:11. Zemskiy was the standout performer in the opening quarter, contributing 10 points in the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter began at a high tempo, with both sides executing sharp offensive plays and keeping the score tight. Ryzhov remained active for Zenit-2, and Khodorich added a three-pointer to the tally. Meanwhile, Irkut enjoyed their best stretch, repeatedly breaking through Zenit-2’s defense, converting 2+1, and slamming dunks. This prompted Oliver Popovic to call a timeout to recalibrate his team. The pause disrupted the rhythm slightly, but Irkut managed to cut the deficit to just three points. Zenit-2 restored their lead thanks to back-to-back threes by Aksenov and a fast-break dunk by Zemskiy, set up by Daniil’s assist. Dulkay’s three-pointer extended the gap to double digits, and at halftime, the scoreboard read 42:32 in favor of the home team.
Despite Irkut’s efforts to close the gap in the third quarter, Zenit-2 maintained their lead, building on it with style. Aksenov continued to hit from long range, and Zemskiy delivered another emphatic dunk. The visitors responded with baskets from Savin and Vanin, including a prolonged attack with five offensive rebounds. By the fifth minute of the quarter, Dulkay scored off an Akhmedov assist, and Zemskiy added another fast-break dunk, pushing the lead to 18 points. Zenit-2 crossed the 20-point margin thanks to Dulkay, who converted a second-chance opportunity in transition. Toward the end of the quarter, Prokopenko and Volkhin ramped up their offensive contributions, and heading into the final stretch, the scoreboard showed a commanding 67:41 lead for the hosts.
In the fourth quarter, Zenit-2, featuring a lineup of Evstafiev, Samukhin, Khodorich, Prokopenko and Volkhin, continued to extend their advantage. Igor Volkhin stood out, scoring nine points in the final ten minutes. Egor Evstafiev hit two three-pointers, establishing the largest lead of the game at 41 points. Egor also secured the century mark for his team, with the final score at 100:68.
The top performers for Zenit-2 were Pavel Zemskiy (20 points + 6 rebounds), Igor Volkhin (16 points + 3 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal) and Mikhail Dulkay (13 points + 7 rebounds + 1 assist).
Next Sunday, December 7, Zenit-2 will host Universitet-Yugra from Surgut in the 11th round of the Fonbet Super League. The match will start at 18:00 at the Basketball Academy court (Severnaya Road, 12). Entry for all fans is free. A live broadcast will be available on the Russian Basketball Federation’s website.
