FANTASTIC MEGA BEAT BUDUCNOST, MVP GAME OF MATKOVIC

Great comeback of Mega to the winning track!

Mega Mozzart defeated Buducnost VOLI with 87:81 (23:19, 32:19, 17:25, 15:18) in the 7th round of the ABA league after a great match. Coach Vladimir Jovanovic’s team played a great game in the Mega Factory hall, which was changed on Saturday night due to a leaking roof in the Hall of sports Ranko Zeravica, where they had a 17-point advantage at the end of the first half, only to repel Buducnost’s attacks in second half for the victory.

The best in the ranks of Mega was Karlo Matkovic with 26 points, 12 rebounds with an index of 40, while Nikola Jovic had 18 points. In Buducnost, Justin Cobbs stood out with 19 points and Vladimir Micov with 17.

After seven played rounds of the regional competition, Mega Mozzart has a score of 3-4, while Buducnost recorded five victories and two defeats. Mega will play away against Igokea in the next round on Sunday, November 14.

Vladimir Jovanovic started the match with the following five: Smith, Djurisic, Jovic, Matkovic and Balcerowski. A good start for Mega, who leads with 7:4 after Smith’s triple and Balcerowski’s dunk. However, the center of Mega went to the bench due to two quick fouls, and Mega continued with an excellent defense, so from the counter and from free throws they reached 13:6. Jovic brings the first double-digit advantage with a triple. Mega had plus 11, but the visiting team took advantage of Mega’s turnovers and came to six points behind. Matkovic from the paint and Cazalon from the lay-up managed to repel the attack of Buducnost for a short time, however, the guests still approached four points at the end of the first quarter, 23:19.

Ruzhentsev was excellent at the beginning of the second quarter, when he tied six points in a short period of time, and then Smith brilliantly assisted for “alley-up” dunk of Matkovic, and then he hit the floater off the board for plus 10, 39:29. Matkovic is unstoppable, where he corrects his teammates’ misses on several occasions, so new points came from the jump in the attack. Buducnost came close to five points, but a great run of Mega followed until the halftime, 14:2. Jovic, Cazalon, Matkovic raised the audience to their feet with attractive moves, which applauded Mega’s great game for 55:38 at halftime

After only twenty minutes in the third quarter, Mega entered the bonus, Balcerowski went to the bench due to the fourth personal, so Buducnost decreased the difference from the free throw line to eight points, 59:51. Cazalon hits a three-pointer at the end of the attack and then Matković brings a plus 13. Buducnost came to six points behind but Ruzhentsev hits three for the 72:63 before the last 10 minutes of the game.

In the last quarter, Mega entered the bonus in a little over a minute, but Djurisic corrected his miss and returned double-digit advantage, 77:66. It was difficult for both teams to reach points, but Buducnost managed to reduce the difference little by little, which was reduced to five points by Micov’s triple with a little more than two minutes until the end. Cerovina hits one free throw and Popovic brings Buducnost closer with a triple to only three points, 83:80. Smith hits probably the key floater in the match, after the rebounds, Mega managed to defend the victory for the big celebration on the floor and the final 87:81.

Mega Mozzart: Balcerowski 2, Vujic, Ruzhentsev 9, Jovic 18, Rudan 4, Kocovic 2, Smith 7 (7 assists), Cerovina 1, Matkovic 26 (12 rebounds, 5 assists, index 40), Cazalon 12, Djurisic 6, Bogavac .

Buducnost VOLI: Cobbs 19, Atic, Sehovic, Micov 17, Barovic, Seeley 10, Z. Nikolic 2, Jagodic-Kuridza 6, Drobnjak 3, Wiley 4, Popovic 9, Reed 11 (8 rebounds).

Photo: Mega Mozzart/Ivica Veselinov