Zenit defeated Samara at home – 113:52 (20:16, 36:9, 28:17, 29:10).
Game progress
The hosts began home series with the win over Avtodor and were looking to repeat the result another Volga club. The starting quarter was equal, with Zenit leading by just 4 points. Everything changed dramatically in the second quarter, which the St. Petersburg team started with a 23:2 run. Andre Robertson’s drives, long-range shots by Vladislav Emchenko, Luka Samanic and Dmitrii Uzinskii—the hosts were doing everything right. The St. Petersburg team won the quarter 36-9 and had already settled the main question by halftime.
X-factor
Zenit significantly outperformed Samara in key stats, particularly in rebounds. After just 20 minutes, the St. Petersburg team’s dominance in the paint was crucial (27 vs. 13 rebounds). By the final buzzer, the difference had widened even further – 41-21.
Facts
Dejan Radonjic won his first game as Zenit’s head coach.
The rivalry history score – 11-0, Zenit leads. The average score difference in these games is more than 30 points.
Samara’s leader Nikita Mikhailovskii, who was the top scorer in January (19.0 points on average), missed the game. Prior to that, he was the MVP of October. The Volga team guard remains the top scorer of the season among all VTB League players with 20.1 points on average.
Leaders
Zenit: Andrei Martiuk (21 + 5 rebounds), Luka Samanic (19 + 7 rebounds), Trent Frazier (13), Aleksandr Scherbenev (11 + 8 assists)
Samara: Dmitry Cheburkin (13), Andrey Savrasov (13), Dmitry Khaldeev (10)
What’s next
Zenit: January 4 at home against Enisey
Samara: January 4 at home versus MBA-MAI.
