Igokea came from behind to beat Zenit St Petersburg 83:79 in the VTB Super Cup on Saturday. The Bosnian side took control after a tight opening period and held on despite a late surge from the visitors. By then the match had already slipped away, though Zenit refused to let it go easily.
The visitors started brighter, riding momentum from their European fixtures. But Igokea's defence tightened as the game went on, and here's the thing — they stopped giving Zenit clean looks inside. The home side worked their short corners better, found space when the visitors' high line got dragged out of position.
Zenit had been second in the table after two games, one win and one defeat. They'd looked vulnerable against Anadolu Efes and UNICS in recent outings, losing four of their last five matches. This result extended a run that had them questioning themselves.
We had backed Zenit at 86 per cent confidence, but the match went another way. Igokea's interior presence made the difference, and the visitors couldn't find answers when things came to a head. The prediction didn't materialise — not through lack of attempt, but because the home side had the edge where it mattered.
The victory moves Igokea up the standings, while Zenit drop further behind. The gap between them and the leaders is now something to watch, not just a number on a board.
