BARAĆ: “NOT BAD TO HAVE A SHOT FOR VICTORY AGAINST BUDUĆNOST, BUT LET’S LEARN FROM THESE SITUATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”

After two consecutive wins, the Mega MIS basketball team traveled to Podgorica for one of the toughest away games in the ABA league. In the fifth round of the competition, they put up a great fight against the favored opponent, but Budućnost VOLI ultimately secured the victory in another close finish – 73:71 (18:13, 23:18, 17:22, 15:18). After the initial 20 minutes, during which the host was the better team, Marko Barać’s chosen ones managed to catch up in the third quarter, and then took the lead in the fourth. A fierce battle followed in the last few minutes, with both teams going back and forth in the lead. Mega had a chance to win with one last attack. Nikola Topić took a long-distance shot in the final seconds, but the ball slipped out of the rim. With a bit of luck, Podgorica remained undefeated after five rounds (5-0), while Mega MIS suffered their third loss (2-3).

Mega MIS coach Marko Barać shared his impressions at the press conference after the game:

– An interesting game, more interesting than high-quality, but there were lead changes, good moves, and I hope people enjoyed it. As for us, it’s evident that we didn’t enter the game with as much energy as needed, especially on such a court, against a very quality opponent. This was evident through the long rebounds that Budućnost had in the first few minutes and in the first quarter. All of those were potential opportunities for us to grab loose balls, start a fast break, and gain confidence early in the game. The opposite happened. Budućnost gained confidence from offensive rebounds, they had seven in the first half, and a significant portion of those they put back into the basket. The lack of energy also affected our missed layups. We weren’t brave enough in the first half. We hesitated on five or six layups, instead of being bold and putting them in the basket. From some of those, Fletcher Magee hit two three-pointers, got himself into the game, and then made a tough shot, so the whole first half was not good for us. In the second half, we improved our defense, especially against three-pointers. When we connected with our hands, made some deflections, we immediately had a chance to run a fast break, spread the court, and play in transition. We caught up and stayed in the game until the very end. Regarding the ending, this is how I wanted us to play. Like in the first two rounds, the guys did what I asked of them, and every miss of that kind is my miss. Everything is geared towards learning from such situations as soon as possible, so that the players gain routine and experience. It’s not bad for our young team to have a shot for victory against Budućnost. I would like to congratulate the host on a good and tough game. They showed a reaction after their previous game, which wasn’t good for them. They came out with a dose of aggression and desire. I wish them good luck in the future,

said Barać.

In the next round, Mega MIS will host Zadar, with the match scheduled for Sunday, November 5th, at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall at 12:00 PM.

Photo: Budućnost VOLI/Filip Roganović