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Taking the Win in a Home Game Against "Yenisey"

Saint Petersburg's "Zenit" and Krasnoyarsk's "Yenisey" delivered an exciting and intense match that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very last moments. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the 30th round of the VTB United League regular season, which took place on February 5 at the KSK "Arena" in the Northern capital.

Strong Start and High Tempo

Zenit's starting five featured Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter, Andrey Vorontsevich, and Sergey Karasev. For the Saint Petersburg captain, this match was a special milestone—his 300th game for the blue-white-sky blues.

From the very first minutes, both teams set a fast pace, thrilling the crowd with attacking basketball. The hosts relied on their long-range shooting: Vorontsevich quickly racked up points, sinking two three-pointers and then delivering an emphatic dunk. However, Yenisey kept up, demonstrating excellent shot efficiency and preventing Zenit from pulling away. A key factor in favor of the home team was their dominance on the offensive glass—Zenit grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the first quarter. Newcomer Okaro White made his debut towards the end of the period, which finished with Zenit leading 24:21.

Back-and-Forth Battle

In the second quarter, Zenit continued to rack up points steadily—Bacon, Frazier, and Poythress controlled the game well, but Yenisey held their ground. The Krasnoyarsk team responded with precise three-pointers, dynamic drives, and even an impressive alley-oop. The game turned into a seesaw battle, with the lead changing hands on nearly every possession.

Towards the end of the quarter, Sergey Karasev returned to the court and sank two free throws along with a three-pointer, giving Zenit a slim halftime lead of 42:40.

A Tight Third Quarter

Yenisey came out strong after the break, quickly scoring four points and taking the lead. Zenit struggled to find the basket until Trent Frazier made a crucial steal, broke away on a fast break, and drew an unsportsmanlike foul. He calmly made both free throws, shifting the momentum.

Zenit then regained control—Vorontsevich hit another deep shot, Hunter powered his way to the rim, and Poythress contributed with a hook shot and free throws. However, the battle remained fierce, and the quarter ended in a near deadlock after three-pointers from both Frazier and Gerasimov—60:58 in Zenit's favor heading into the final stretch.

Sealing the Victory

The final ten minutes were full of drama and emotions, both for the fans in the arena and those watching at home. Yenisey quickly responded to a Bacon drive with a Gerasimov three-pointer and a strong move from Sanders. But Zenit refused to let the game go down to the wire.

Following an and-one play by Frazier, the Poythress-Zhbanov duo took over. The Russian guard set up his teammate for two powerful dunks before hitting a three-pointer himself. These key plays gave Zenit full control of the game, extending the lead to an insurmountable margin. Three late-game deep shots from Bacon put the final stamp on the victory—Zenit secured an 83:76 win.

Top Performers

Zenit's standout players for the night were:

Trent Frazier (18 points + 8 assists + 4 rebounds + 2 steals)

Dwayne Bacon (18 points + 1 block)

Alex Poythress (16 points + 7 rebounds)

Next Game

Zenit will hit the road for their next match on Saturday, February 8. Their 31st round game against "PARMA" will take place at the "Molot" Sports Palace, with tip-off scheduled for 15:30 Saint Petersburg time.