GREAT GAME OF MEGA MIS, PARTIZAN IN THE LAST MINUTES TO THE WIN
Great resistance from Mega, Partizan in the last quarter to the victory!
Mega MIS played an excellent match against the Partizan Mozzart Bet team in the quarterfinals of the ABA Super Cup, which is held from September 18 to 20 in Podgorica, but in the end they still lost with 89:78 (25:25, 26: 18, 16:24, 22:11). Coach Marko Barać’s team managed to come back from minus 16 in SC Moraca and play an even game until the very end, but Partizan took advantage of Mega’s turnovers and won.
The most effective in the ranks of Mega MIS were Andrija Jelavic with 21 points and Nikola Djurisic with 14. In the Partizan, James Nunelly stood out with 13.
Mega continues the competition at the ABA Super Cup already tomorrow at 12:00 with a match for the 5th to 8th place against Cedevita Olimpija.
The start of the game against Partizan was marked by Ilyasoglu, who gave Mega an initial lead of four points. Mega entered the game very firmly, Plavsic quickly had to go to the bench due to two personal fouls, but Djurisic and Jelavic kept the tie with points from long range. Due to two personal fouls, Djurisic also goes to the bench, but Jelavic hits two three-pointers at the end of the quarter, so the score after the first 10 minutes is 25:25. With a shooting rhapsody in the second quarter, with six three-pointers, Partizan gained a big advantage, 49:33. Mega did not give up, managed to cut the deficit in half with a run of 0:8, and after a great assist from Ilyasoglu, Kovacevic set the score at halftime with a layup, 51:43.
At the beginning of the second half, Mega came to only four points behind, but Partizan managed to repulse the attech for a short time and went to plus 9. Jovic’s miniature melted Partizan’s advantage, and after Topić’s lay up for plus, Mega got an equaliser. Partizan regained the advantage for a short while, and Jelavic hit a three-pointer in the last second for 67:67.
Mega held the connection until the last five minutes of the game and trailed 79:75, but Partizan took advantage of the lack of concentration in the finish on both sides of the field and won, 89:78.
At the press conference after the match, Mega MIS coach Marko Barac stated that the match was very interesting and good and at the same time praised his players for the way they fought from start to finish:
– We are very pleased to be at this tournament, that we came here because of our results achieved last season. We had perhaps the best possible option for us, to start the schooling process of our young team as early as possible against the team that is the current champion and that played by far the best basketball last season. I think the match was very interesting and good. I would like to praise my players for the way they fought from start to finish. There was a very acceptable difference in certain minutes, on one or two balls, some open shots that if you don’t score, you have little chance to win. Although the start of the season is around the corner, that shooting percentage is not something that is in the foreground at the moment, but it is the fulfillment of some tactical tasks and I can say that it was mostly good. On the other hand, I have to congratulate Partizan, which shows how strong it is in every sense, they succeeded in several games in the preparatory period to raise the level of play, which tonight was enough to be better. I would like to wish them luck in the semi-finals and also, I would like the whole Super Cup to pass in interesting games like this one today.
Partizan Mozzart Bet: Vukcevic 4, LeDay 1l0, Avramovic, Koprivica 2, Punter 10, Smailagic 7, Jaramaz 4, Nunnely 13, Trifunovic 10, Andusic 6, Dozier 11, Kaminski 12.
Mega MIS: Paunovic, Miljenovic 2, Jelavic 21, Kobzystyi 2, Milutinovic, Ilyasoglu 11 (6 ast), Djurisic 14, Kovacevic 9, Plavsic 7, Jovic 6, Topic 6 (9 rfeb, 5 ast), Malovec.
Photo: ABA League/Dragana Stjepanovic