After a brilliant victory over Zenit-M, the Avtodor-2 basketball players were functionally and psychologically short of the rematch with the reigning champion of the VTB United Youth League - 55:100 . Unlike the first meeting, today the Volga players made only one of 16 three-point shots (6%), made 29 losses and almost doubled the backboard (25 to 47 rebounds), allowing the opponents to take 18 offensive rebounds. Blue-white-blue demoralized the hosts with a high percentage of hits from behind the arc - 41% (12/29 three-pointers). Three players of Avtodor-2 – Andrey IVANOV (14), Andrey PECHKIN (12) and Vitalijus PRANAUSKIS (10) – reached the double-digit milestone of points scored.
VTB United Youth League. Regular Championship.
Avtodor-2 (Saratov) - Zenit-M (St. Petersburg) - 55:100 (9-19, 16-24, 23-34, 18-23).
Avtodor-2: Ivanov (14+4 steals), Pechkin (12+3 rebounds), Pranauskis (10+3 rebounds+3 steals), Reish (7+5 rebounds), Pechendzhiyan (6+4 rebounds+2 blocks) -shot), Smirnov (4+3 rebounds), Kuzichkin (2).
Zenit-M: Kolosov (22+3 assists), Bokarev (19+6 assists+4 rebounds+3 steals), Lenkin (15+4 rebounds), Khodorich (13+3 assists), Samukhin (10+9 rebounds) ).
???? Match Photos
Sergey KHREBTOV , head coach of Avtodor-2:
“At this age, psychology decides a lot. After the victory the day before, I warned the guys that today a completely different game awaits us - there will be a different level of toughness on the part of Zenit, who will want to rehabilitate themselves for the defeat in the first match, there will be a different refereeing. In addition, our leaders spent more than 30 minutes on the court during the victory and were physically unable to maintain the same high level after 24 hours. Yesterday, three of our players "flyed" at once. Today, on the contrary, no one could hit, no one played and showed fighting qualities. They just left the game."
Avtodor-2 will play its next matches in Moscow on January 23-24 against CSKA-Junior.