Zenit defeated PARMA and got back into the Top 3

Zenit defeated PARMA and got back into the Top 3

Zenit beat PARMA in Perm – 83:73 (19:15, 20:18, 23:18, 21:22).

Game progress
The hosts managed to minimize Zenit 9-point lead, but at the start of the second quarter, C.J. Bryce and Isaiah Reese put together a 6:2 run, tying the score – 21:21.

PARMA managed to provoke Zenit into a positional game with a lot of free throws and stops. And the St. Petersburg team continued to hold the lead by the halftime with Kyle Kuric three-pointers, but failed to get a comfortable lead – 39:33.

At the start of the second half, the guests started to score more long-range shots and got double-digit lead (49:39). That lead had stayed until the last quarter start.

Key moment
In the final quarter, PARMA focused on drives to the basket and managed Zenit to foul more. However, Igor Volkhin restored the guests’ lead to 10, and then Tomas Heurtel and Bojan Dubljevic got involved.

The St. Petersburg team confidently got the win and surpassed Lokomotiv Kuban in the standings.

X-factor
Although PARMA leads the United League in rebounds (38.4) and Zenit is only in 8th place (33.8), the guests was better tonight 45:35. Zenit 14 offensive rebounds played an important role, PARMA managed to respond with only 4.

Fact
Zenit remains the only Top-4 team that PARMA has failed to beat so far this season. UNICS, CSKA, and Loko have already lost to the Perm team, but Zenit got the third win in a row. The last time PARMA beat the St. Petersburg team in January 2022.

Vince Hunter made his 500th rebound in the United League. It took him 93 games to do it. Zenit center is the 45th player in the League history to make this.

Leaders
PARMA: B.J. Johnson (19 + 7 rebounds), C.J. Bryce (17 + 6 assists), Isaiah Reese (13), Richard Solomon (12), Ruslan Abdulbasirov (3 + 11 rebounds).
Zenit: Sergey Karasev (18), Thomas Heurtel (15 + 8 assists), Kyle Kuric (16), Bojan Dubljevic (7 + 9 rebounds), Adrien Moerman (7 + 8 rebounds), Vince Hunter (6 + 7 rebounds).

What’s next
PARMA (17-12): March 9 at home versus  UNICS
Zenit (20-9): March 10 at home against Enisey.