MEGA MIS SUFFERS ANOTHER CLOSE DEFEAT TO BORAC

Mega MIS basketball team was not fortunate in yet another nail-biting finish, as they suffered a loss to Borac Mozzart in the second round of the ABA League 89-90 (25:24, 32:28, 20:23, 12:15). Silver medalist with the Serbian national team at the recent World Cup, Boriša Simanić, came to watch his former club and was greeted with thunderous applause at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall.

Marko Barać’s players had the upper hand in the first home game of the season for most of the match. However, it was a fierce battle, and the game entered an uncertain finish. Mega had two chances in the final seconds to take the lead and win, but luck eluded them once again. The ball refused to go in, allowing the team from Čačak to celebrate their second victory, while Mega MIS started the new competition cycle with a 0-2 record.

Nikola Topić had another excellent game and led Mega with 28 points and eight assists for a PIR of 28. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the final moments of the game and couldn’t assist the team in the last few attacks. Uroš Plavšić was excellent under the rims with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds, earning him a PIR of 24. Nikola Đurišić contributed 16 points and six rebounds, while Stefan Miljenović and Andrija Jelavić each scored 11 points. Jelavić was on the verge of a double-double with nine rebounds.

In the winning lineup, Ronaldo Segu scored 21 points, Tylan Birts added 17, former Mega MIS player Aleksa Uskoković scored 12, and Filip Rebrača reached double digits with 11 points.

The guests had a better start to the game and took an early lead, but Mega turned the tide through Topić and Đurišić, who made a 10-0 run. Barać’s players maintained the lead until the end of the quarter when Borac managed to reduce the deficit to one point. A fierce battle ensued in the second quarter, with the teams taking turns in the lead. However, Mega established a somewhat more significant lead towards the end of the quarter and went into halftime with a 57-52 advantage.

After the break, Mega continued to play at a good pace and built their first double-digit lead in less than two and a half minutes of play. Jelavić’s two-pointer put the score at 66:53. However, Borac refused to give up, and by the end of the third quarter, they had completely closed the gap. The decisive 10 minutes started with a 77:75 lead for Marko Barać’s team. As expected, the final quarter saw much tighter play. Both teams tightened their defenses, and scoring became increasingly difficult. The game entered an uncertain finish. Đurišić failed to score from the free-throw line for the turnaround, and then Timotej Malovec attempted a last-minute shot for the win, but the ball didn’t go in – Borac secured the victory.

Mega MIS: Paunović, Miljenović 11 (16 PIR), Jelavić 11 (9 rebounds), Kobzistyi 2, Milutinović, Ilyasoglu, Đurišić 16 (6 rebounds), Kovačević, Plavšić 15 (15 rebounds, 24 PIR), Jović 6, Topić 28 (8 assists, 28 PIR), Malovec

Borac Mozzart: Rebrača 11, Segu 21, Birts 17, Tomašević 9, Talić, Franklin 9, Uskoković 12, Todorović, Čarapić 7, Manojlović 2, Šalić 2

In the third round of the ABA League, Mega MIS will face FMP in Železnik, with the match scheduled for Monday, October 16, at 20:00.

Photo: Mega MIS