Zenit-2 defeats SSOR Loko in a tense ending

The second team of the blue-whites club claimed victory in a match against SSOR Lokomotiv Kuban during the 14th round of the Fonbet Super League.

Team captain Elkhan Akhmedov, Pavel Zemskiy, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay took to the court of the Krasnodar Basket Hall from the opening seconds.

Despite an early dunk by Samukhin, the hosts controlled the start of the game. Three minutes into play, the scoreboard showed 10:2, forcing Oliver Popovic to call an early timeout. Following the coach's instructions, Zenit-2 returned to the court with renewed energy. A drive by Samukhin, a putback from Zemskiy, and two three-pointers by Dulkay allowed the blue-whites to cut the deficit to just one point. The game then took on a fragmented pace, with both teams alternating scoring runs, ultimately combining for 52 points in the first quarter. The first break saw the scoreboard read 29:23 in favor of SSOR Loko.

The St. Petersburg team was not content with trailing, so in the second quarter, Zenit-2 steadily chipped away at the deficit. The team worked cohesively on defense while executing precise offensive plays. Again and again Zenit-2 closed in on their opponents, and in the penultimate minute of the quarter, Aksenov tied the game with a dribble-three-pointer. However, the first half ended with a narrow lead for Krasnodar, 47:46.

The rest of the game was marked by intense competition and a physical battle. After taking the lead early in the third quarter, Zenit-2 fell behind again but continued to apply pressure. Prokopenko, Abdul and Aksenov consistently added points, while two more three-pointers from Dulkay (including a buzzer-beater) helped Oliver Popovic's squad enter the final quarter with a slim lead, 67:68.

In the fourth quarter, the lead exchanged hands multiple times. Points from Ilya Krivyh were answered by drives from Alimjan Fedyushin, while Zenit-2 countered with a long-range shot from Egor Evstafiev. The entire clutch phase played out at this intense pace. In the final 90 seconds, Zenit-2's leader, Daniil Aksenov, delivered a decisive performance. The blue-whites guard scored five consecutive points (a three-pointer and a two-pointer), giving his team a critical cushion at just the right moment. The final score was 85:90.

The top performers for St. Petersburg were Pavel Zemskiy (19 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist), Daniil Aksenov (18 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound), Egor Evstafiev (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Mikhail Dulkay (14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) and Ilya Krivyh (12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal).

Zenit-2 will play their final match of 2024 on December 22 in Grozny. The game against Dynamo will begin at 19:00 St. Petersburg time. The match will be broadcast on the Russian Basketball Federation's website.