Intro
This was Zenit and Nymburk's second meeting this week. On Wednesday, the Czechs crushed Zenit in St. Petersburg in a Eurocup game, winning by 21 points. The Russian club traveled to the Czech Republic on Sunday seeking revenge, while Nymburk looked to pick up its second straight win in the league and rejoin the playoff hunt.

Both teams got off to a fast start, which came as something of a surprise given Nymburk's penchant for a slower, half-court game. But the home team pushed the tempo early on while shooting an excellent percentage from the field.

After combining for 20 points in the first three minutes, the mistakes started to pile up, especially for Zenit which struggled with turnovers. The scoring quickly dropped and Nymburk wasted no time reverting to a defense-first approach. The Czechs led 18-14 after 10 minutes.

Nymburk quickly jumped in front 28-19 in the 2nd quarter, led by Chester Simmons. Zenit couldn't get its drive-and-kick game to work, shooting just 1-7 from the perimeter in the first half.

Zenit coach Vasily Karasev made some adjustments on offense and Walter Hodge started to find success driving the ball and drawing fouls. The visitors managed to tie the score at 35-35, before D.J. Stephens put Zenit on top with a ferocious dunk, 37-35. But Nymburk closed the half with a Darius Washington 3-pointer to go back in front, 38-37.

In the 3rd quarter, D.J. Stephens twice stopped the game after his dunks caused the frame supporting the backboard to shift. That slowed the tempo, which played right into Nymburk's hands. The home team led by as much as eight points, 54-46, midway through the period, before a Walter Hodge '3' cut the deficit to five.

For most of the period, St. Petersburg relied on Hodge for its offense, while the Czechs enjoyed balanced scoring and led 62-57 entering the final period.

Turning Point
Nymburk went up by as much as eight points early in the 4th quarter, but Hodge could not be stopped. The American guard scored 14 straight for his team, helping Zenit take the lead on an Artem Vikhrov basket late in the 4th quarter, 80-78. Though Nymburk had several chances down the stretch, they couldn't convert, falling 84-80 at home.

Star of the Game
Walter Hodge. Hodge not only scored a game-high 34 points; he did so in efficient fashion. The American guard shot 12-17 from the field and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line to lead St. Petersburg to a comeback win. Zenit trailed by as much as eight points early in the 4th quarter, but Hodge scored 18 points in the first six minutes of the period to get the visitors back in the game!

Stat of the Game
100% — Zenit did not miss a single free throw to go 16-16 from the charity stripe.

Top Performers
Nymburk: Chester Simmons — 18 points; Darius Washington — 16 points, six assists; Petr Benda — 15 points.

Zenit: Walter Hodge — 34 points; Artem Vikhrov — 15 points; D.J. Stephens — 14 points, eight rebounds.