Zenit defeats Enisey on the road
Xavi Pascual's team secured a victory in the 19th round of the VTB United League, defeating Krasnoyarsk's Enisey on the road. Here’s a detailed report of today’s game.
The match started off with a bang right from the opening seconds. A series of attacks by Frazier and Karasev, as well as a 2+1 play from Ryzhov, quickly gave Zenit a "+7" lead. With this early advantage, the blue-whites confidently dictated the pace of the game. By the end of the first quarter, the Poythress-Moon duo extended the visitors' lead to double digits—16:27.
Until the middle of the second quarter, the game progressed at a relatively steady pace. However, at this point, Egor Ryzhov, the game’s X-factor, took charge. The Zenit center made free throws, scored on a few driving plays and racked up 10 points during the period, sparking a run for his team. While their opponents seemed stunned, the Zenit players continued to apply pressure, briefly extending their lead to 22 points. The teams went into halftime with a commanding lead for the visitors — 33:51.
Timofey Gerasimov, the Enisey point guard who ended the first half with a three-pointer, attempted to bring his team back into the game. He repeatedly hit mid-range shots and scored on fast-break drives. Meanwhile, Zenit's"Bacon, riding his own momentum, sank a three-pointer and executed a solo drive to the basket. For the most part, though, the game continued at its usual pace, with the blue-whites maintaining full control — 53:71 heading into the final quarter.
In the last segment of the game, Xavi Pascual’s squad confidently secured their victory, extending their lead to as much as 28 points. Returning to the court, Ryzhov dominated in the paint, grabbing offensive rebounds and finishing plays, ultimately becoming the game’s top scorer and falling just short of a double-double. The final score — 69:97.
The top performers for the St. Petersburg team today were Egor Ryzhov (23 points + 9 rebounds + 1 steal), Dwayne Bacon (19 points + 2 rebounds + 2 assists + 1 steal + 1 block), and Xavier Moon (17 points + 6 rebounds + 4 assists + 1 steal).
In the next round Zenit will return to the home court on December 18 to face Kazan’s UNICS. The game starts at 19:30 St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.
