Zenit St. Petersburg won at Zielona Gora 92:67 (19:16, 26:19, 14:26, 18:21).
Top scorers
Zielona Gora: Joe Thomasson (16), Tony Meier (15), Ludvig Hakanson (9 + 5 rebounds + 6 assists).
Zenit: Austin Hollins (19), Gustavo Ayon (16), Will Thomas (11).
Story
Zenit opened official season after summer renewal, and Zielona Gora as already tried Khimki. The first quarter was a close game, but Zenit started the second with a run. Gustavo Ayon was active in the paint and Anton Ponkrashov added from beyond the arc – 8:0 and 28:20 on the scoreboard.
Zenit in the first half could be described as balanced. With a series of three-pointers (two from Alex Renfroe), Petersburg reached the halftime with 42% three-pointers and 78% two-pointers. After 20 minutes of play, Russian team had double-digit lead 45:35.
Key moment
After the halftime break the teams were scoreless for two and a half minutes. Renfroe’s three-pointer was the first. Zenit found the rhythm, and Zielona Gora’s scored their first point in the middle of the third quarter trailing heavily 36:52. St. Petersburg controlled the rest of the game and opened the season with a huge win.
Stat
4 field goals made by Zielona Gora’s bench (22 shots, 12 points). Zenit’s bench scored 56.
Hero
Austin Hollins. In his debut, he showed he can be the best sixth man of the season. Hollins’ record in 19 minutes is 19 points (7 of 9 FG) and 3 assists. Perfect sixth man performance.
