MEGA MIS FOUGHT UNTIL THE END BUT LOST IN PODGORICA TO SC DERBY

The basketball players of Mega MIS were unable to secure their sixth victory in the ABA League this season, as they lost to SC Derby in Podgorica after 40 minutes of intense battle in the 10th round with a score of 89:82 (17:17, 29:19, 13:24, 30:22). Marko Barać’s chosen ones held their own against the home team in the first 10 minutes, but couldn’t match them in the final moments of the second quarter, resulting in a 10-point deficit at halftime. However, Mega’s young team mounted a comeback, taking the lead before the decisive quarter, only for the Podgorica team to pull away again, leading by double digits on two occasions in the final quarter. Barać’s team refused to surrender, making efforts until the last seconds to regain the advantage but fell short. After 10 matches, Mega MIS holds a 5-5 record, while SC Derby improved to 6-4.

The top scorer for Mega at the end was Nikola Topić with 20 points, also contributing five assists. Andrija Jelavić and Nikola Đurišić followed closely with 14 points each, and a total of 10 players from Barać’s squad contributed to the scoring.

Uroš Plavšić and Nikola Janković were missing for Mega, highlighting the performance of center Kenan Kamenjaš with 18 points for the winning team. Aubrey Dawkins and Mateo Drežnjak added 14 points each, and former Mega player Luka Bogavac scored 12 points.

Mega started the match well, taking an early 9:4 lead with a three-pointer from Malovec and points from Popović in the paint. However, the home team responded with a 6:0 run for a turnaround. A fierce battle ensued until the first break, resulting in a tied score of 17:17 after 10 minutes. Studentski Centar managed to establish a somewhat significant lead early in the second quarter, but Barać’s team reacted in time, bringing the game back to an even level. However, the score stood at 46:36 in favor of the home team at halftime, following two three-pointers from the Podgorica team in the last minute.

Đurišić sparked Mega in the middle of the third quarter, bringing them within one point after an 11:2 run. Then, Kovačević turned the game around in the final minute, and Barać’s team entered the decisive period with a one-point lead (59:60). Although Mega opened the fourth quarter with Topić’s points, slightly increasing their lead, SC Derby responded with an 11:2 run for another turnaround. Despite Mega closing the gap to minus three, the home team extended their lead again, holding a double-digit advantage with three minutes left. Mega fought until the end, narrowing the deficit to six points in the final minute but lacked the strength for another significant comeback.

In the next round, Mega MIS will host Crvena Zvezda, with the game scheduled for Monday, December 11, at 18:00 in the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall.

Mega MIS: Miljenović 6, Jelavić 14, Marković 2, Kobzystyi, Popović 3, Milutinović, Ilyasoglu 7, Đurišić 14, Kovačević 6 (6 rebounds), Jović 5, Topić 20 (5 assists), Malovec 5

SC Derby: Bogavac 12, Pavlićević 2, Vučeljić, Hadžibegović 9, Baćović, Ivišić 6, Dawkins 14, Drobnjak 2, Drežnjak 14, Kamenjaš 18, Kapusta 4, Mirković 8

Photo: SC Derby/Filip Filipović