Nymburk Overwhelmed By Zenit

Zenit defeated Nymburk on the road, 102-81. The game was decided in the 3rd quarter. Thanks to the efforts of Ryan Toolson and Janis Timma, the visitors went on a big run and grabbed a 19-point lead. Zenit held onto its advantage in the 4th quarter, picking up an important win in the Czech Republic.

With the victory, Zenit remains in 4th place, half a game back of Lokomotiv-Kuban, while Nymburk misses on an opportunity to pass Nizhny Novgorod in the standings.

Recap
Both teams had a lot at stake in this game. St. Petersburg continues to battle with Lokomotiv-Kuban, Khimki and Avtodor for 3rd place. Nymburk, meanwhile, needed a win to improve its chances of finishing 7th and avoid a first-round matchup with CSKA.

The game got off to a blistering start. Nymburk forward Howard Sant-Roos opened the scoring, but the momentum quickly shifted to Zenit. Ryan Toolson, Zabian Dowdell and Janis Timma each contributed, while three 3-pointers from Pavel Antipov, Kaspars Berzins and Toolson gave the visitors a 19-9 lead midway through the 1st quarter.

Maxime De Zeeuw got Nymburk back into the game. Back-to-back 3's and two points under the basket cut the deficit to three. St. Petersburg tried to pull away again, but the home team kept it close for much of the first half, though Dowdell and Toolson were able to put Zenit on top by eight, 55-47, at halftime.

The visitors kept cruising in the second half, led by Toolson and Timma. The duo scored and distributed, giving Zenit an 83-62 lead early in the 4th quarter. Playing from behind all night, Nymburk simply ran out of steam, allowing St. Petersburg to cruise to victory down the stretch.

Star Player
Ryan Toolson. The American led the way on offense for Zenit, attacking from outside and driving to the basket to keep Nymburk's defense guessing all game long.

Stat of the Game
17 - number of offensive rebounds grabbed by Zenit. A dominant performance on the glass was a big key to the Russian club's win.

Snapshot