Zenit took over Zielona Gora at home — 97:80 (32:16, 25:21, 19:18, 21:25).
The best scorers
Zenit: Sergey Karasev (25), Billy Baron (22) Denis Zakharov (11), Jordan Mickey (10).
Zielona Gora: Dragan Apic (17 + 6 rebounds), Nemanja Nenadic (14 + 9 rebounds + 7 assists), Tony Meyer (14), Branden Frasier (14).
Game progress
Already in the first possession, the hosts scored, which clearly indicated their motivation to win. St. Petersburg offencive leader was Sergey Karasev. The forward made four 3-points shots at once in the 1st quarter, which provided Zenit with a comfortable lead. Billy Baron and Denis Zakharov took over the sniper relay from him. In total, in the first quarter, the blue-white-blues scored 7 out of 10 three-pointers, got a double-digit lead – 32:16.
Don't leave @SKgetbuckets alone!
The Zenit's forward scored 14 PTS in 1st Q vs Zielona Gora 🎯 pic.twitter.com/mYrUHCc4WK
— VTB League (@VTBUL) November 8, 2021
In the 2nd quarter, the hosts continued to play comfortable basketball for them. Good ball movement, accurate three-pointers and fastbreaks maintained Zenit’s dominance on the floor. The guests also had flashes of bright basketball. But this was not enough to impose a real battle to the opponent. By the halftime, St. Petersburg led by already 20 points – 57:37.
There was no intrigue in the game. In the 3rd quarter, the hosts competently froze the pace. The difference in the score was around 20 points every time. Gura periodically gave out bright moments, but all their comeback attempts were unavailable by the hosts’ accurate shots. As a result, the last minutes of the game turned into reserves players time, in which neither side also had an advantage.
Hero
Sergey Karasev became the main hero of the opening quarter of the game. In the 1st quarter, the forward scored 14 points, which provided a run for his team. As a result, he finished the game with 25 points (shots from the field – 9 out of 15, three-pointers – 7 out of 12). For Karasev, this result was the best in the last four seasons in the League.
Numbers
18 – Zenit has set new season record for three-pointers scored. It is also the team’s history high in the United League.
Comments
Xavier Pascual, Zenit Head Coach:
— We are happy with today’s v win, I think that the team played seriously. Our approach to the game was correct both defensively and offensively. We should be happy with the work the players did on the court today. The team finished the game with 28 assists, which means that the guys moved the ball well. At some moments we showed great basketball with a good offense. Let’s think about the next game.
Oliver Vidin, Zielona Gora Head Coach:
– We started with quality, but in the last five minutes of the first quarter we were not as aggressive as it was necessary. Then we started to play better defensively, but it was too late against a team like Zenit. They were very effective from behind the arc today, scoring 18 three-pointers. Zenit has 10-11 players in rotation, everyone can go out on the floor and add efficiency. Sergey Karasev started the game well, and that was the key moment, in my opinion. Zenit played better and deserved to win, and I congratulate them on their win.
What’s next
Zenit: December 6 at home against Enisey.
Zielona Gora: November 13 at home versus Lokomotiv Kuban.
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