St. Petersburg’s Zenit defeated Krasnoyarsk’s Enisey at home, 94–86 OT (20–16, 25–24, 14–25, 23–17, 12–4).
Main Story
A tough, hard-fought battle started from the very first minutes on the court. The Krasnoyarsk team focused on three-pointers. In the first half, they made 8 of 20 three-point attempts (40%). The home team, however, had the edge in the battle for rebounds. They grabbed more offensive rebounds (10–7) and committed fewer turnovers (2–11). As a result, the St. Petersburg team gained 12 extra possessions. As a result, Zenit was able to head into halftime with a 45–40 lead.
The Clutch Moment
The second half was a back-and-forth situation in which neither team could establish clear dominance. A three-pointer by Georgy Zhbanov sent the game into overtime—82–82.
In the extra five minutes, the home team’s class shone through. Aggressive defense and the energy of the tireless Zhbanov allowed Zenit to quickly build a lead and secure the victory in this challenging matchup.
X-Factor
St. Petersburg committed fewer turnovers in this game (8 to 20) and had the edge in offensive rebounds (19–10). Thanks to these factors, the home team took 21 more shots than their opponent (81–60). That ultimately led to their victory.
Interesting Facts
Zenit has yet to lose a single game at home this season. The St. Petersburg team secured its fourth home victory in the league.
The lead changed hands 16 times during the game.
Evgeny Belyankov and Ivan Belousov scored 23 and 18 points, respectively, setting new personal scoring records in the VTB League.
Press Conference
Zenit Head Coach Duško Ivanović:
– It was a very tough game. I’d like to congratulate Enisey on their performance; they prepared very well and played a truly excellent game. They moved the ball well and shot exceptionally well from beyond the arc. But what we showed in the last five minutes of regulation and in overtime—that’s exactly how we need to play for all 40 minutes. We need to fight, believe in ourselves, and play as a team. During those ten minutes, we really played as a team. And our goal is to play exactly that way.
Enisey Head Coach Jovica Arsić:
– Congratulations to the Zenit team. At key moments in the game, they were more aggressive on defense, grabbed several very important rebounds, and won in the end.
Top Performers
Zenit: Georgy Zhbanov (18), Sergey Karasev (17 + 6 rebounds), Vladislav Emchenko (12 + 6 assists), Alex Poythress (12), Andre Roberson (9 + 10 rebounds), Andrei Martyuk (8 + 12 rebounds)
Enisey: Evgeny Belyankov (23 + 5 rebounds), Ivan Belousov (18), Charles Callison (10 + 9 assists)
Up Next
Zenit: October 30, away against Dynamo
Enisey: November 1, at home against MBA.
Highlights :
