BARAĆ: “I CAN’T BE DISSATISFIED WITH THE GAME AND FIGHTING SPIRIT; THE MATCH COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY”

The Mega MIS basketball team delivered another excellent match against one of the favorites for the top spot in the Adriatic League. In the 11th round of the ABA League, held at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall, they were neck and neck with Crvena Zvezda until the final moments, where the experience of the Serbian representative in the EuroLeague ultimately prevailed, resulting in a victory for the guests with a final score of 88:98 (27:22, 13:26, 30:20, 18:30). Marko Barać’s team had a strong start, leading after the initial 10 minutes, but they couldn’t maintain the advantage until halftime. However, in the third quarter, they played exceptionally well on both ends of the court, staging a comeback. They held their ground against the favored opponent until the last minute when the guests secured a crucial lead and clinched the victory. After 11 matches, Mega MIS has a record of 5-6, while Crvena Zvezda leads the regional competition with just one loss (10-1).

Mega’s coach, Marko Barać, shared his impressions at the press conference after the game:

Congratulations to Crvena Zvezda on the victory. I think the game could have gone the other way, and I believe it wouldn’t have been undeserved if we had celebrated in the end. The opening of the match was the way we wanted, especially offensively. We managed to score a lot of easy points from deep in the pick-and-roll. However, Red Star has an experienced team; they reacted in the continuation, changed their defensive approach, and it took us a little time to adapt. I am satisfied with the game in the second half; we scored 30 points in the third quarter and had the lead when it mattered, but we missed several shots and fast-break opportunities. They made some tough shots and won. I can’t be dissatisfied; still, in some situations, we were indecisive, and a few turnovers decided it. I repeat I can’t be dissatisfied with the game and the fighting spirit we showed; let the audience judge how beautiful the game was,” said Barać.

In the next round, Mega MIS will visit the Split team at Gripa, with the match scheduled for Monday, December 18, at 18:00.

Photo: Mega MIS/Ivica Veselinov