Zenit defeated Samara on the road – 82:70 (27:22, 12:21, 20:19, 23:8).
The best scorers:
Samara: Marcos Knight (20 + 6 rebounds + 7 assists), James Ennis (19), Malcolm Thomas (15 + 10 rebounds)
Zenit: Caleb Homesley (28), Trey Tompkins (10), Richard Solomon (6 + 8 rebounds)
Game progress
The VTB League newcomer, after two losses at the start in games with top teams, won two games against Enisey and Pari NN. Zenit started with a home loss to UNICS, but then won three times.
The first quarter was led by the guests, Zenit took the lead in the opening with long-range shots by Sergey Karasev and Trey Tompkins. The St. Petersburg team had a double-digit lead for a long time, but unlike the same game with CSKA, Samara contoured the pressure and did not let the opponent go far. The Volga team gradually stabilized the situation in defense and Marcos Knight took the game in his control and helped to reduce the difference – 22:27 after the first quarter.
In the middle of the second quarter, Knight – Ennis – Thomas trio managed to make a 9:0 run, which changed the balance on the court. Knight applied for a triple-double after the first half, scoring 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and the newcomer had the lead by 4 points – 43:39.
After the halftime, Samara managed to make a double–digit lead – Ennis made a 7:0 run with the steal and dunk in the fast break. And yet Javi Pascual brought Zenit back to life in a timeout. The St. Petersburg team slowed down the rhythm of the game, Karasev and Caleb Homesley scored long-range shots. At the end of the quarter, Vitaly Fridzon, who made his debut in the season, took the ball from KC Rivers and lit up 59:62 on the scoreboard with a veteran lay-up before the decisive quarter.
The key moment
In the fourth quarter, Zenit showed class. The St. Petersburg team gave out a close to ideal defense, guarding the opponent’s leaders and completely controlling the pace of the game. The fans waited for Samara first made shot for a long 6.5 minutes – Anton Kardanakhishvili scored from the line. But during this time, the guests have already created a reserve that guaranteed them win: Howsley and Joe Thomasson scored three-pointers, Tompkins continued – 13:0 run and 72:62 as the final result.
Samara demonstrated the potential, but Zenit took the game, which extended the winning streak and now it is 4 wins.
Hero
Caleb Homesley. Zenit won due to team actions – 10 players scored points. Homesley stood out and caught the courage and got 28 points (9 of 15 from the game), which is his career high in the League.
Numbers
11 – Samara max lead in this game. The reigning champion managed to came back.
What’s next
Samara: home game versus Astana on October 27
Zenit: home game against MINSK on October 28
