DEBILITATED MEGA MIS DEFEATED IN SPLIT

In the 12th round of the ABA League, the Mega MIS basketball team lost away to Split with a score of 88:73 (24:20, 21:27, 17:10, 26:16). Marko Barać’s players held their own against the home team in the first 20 minutes, even ending the half with a point advantage. However, Split began to pull away in the third quarter. Mega attempted to respond in the decisive period, but the Croatian team gained a double-digit lead and decisively secured the victory in the middle of the quarter. After 12 games, Mega MIS now has a record of 5-7, while Split improved their balance to 4-8.

The most effective player for Mega was Uroš Plavšić with 17 points, while Nikola Topić recorded 14 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, earning him a performance index rating of 21 and making him the most valuable player for Barać’s team. Nikola Đurišić also added 14 points, and it’s worth noting that Mega MIS played in Split with ten players.

The winning team was led by Toni Perković and Shannon Shorter, each scoring 20 points, while Krešimir Ljubičić and Derek Funderburk added 14 points each.

A fierce battle unfolded from the start at the Gripe. The teams traded the lead from the opening minutes, and when it seemed that the home team might pull away, Mega reacted well, and towards the end of the first quarter, through Plavšić and Malovec, they kept close. A similar situation continued in the following minutes, but Mega, with an 8-0 run in the middle of the second quarter, reversed the score (34:39). Split briefly regained the lead at the end of the half, but Kovačević’s three-pointer allowed Barać’s team to go into halftime with a surplus (45:57).

The game was even upon returning from the break, but Split started to pull away again in the second part of the third quarter. While they couldn’t establish a significant lead, in the last minute, they gained a seven-point advantage. Topić’s layup in the final seconds reduced the deficit to 62:57 before the deciding period. However, the home team, at the start of the fourth quarter, scored five consecutive points, gaining a double-digit lead for the first time. Mega briefly responded, but another Split run, giving them a 14-point lead, sealed the game in their favor.

In the next round, Mega MIS will host Igokea, with the match scheduled for Monday, December 25, at 18:00 in the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall.

Mega MIS: Miljenović 6, Jelavić 8 (8 rebounds), Popović, Milutinović, Ilyasoglu 4, Đurišić 14, Kovačevič 7, Plavšić 17, Topić 14 (8 assists, 5 rebounds, PIR 21), Malovec 3

Split: Funderburk 14, Perković 20, Shorter 20, Sullivan 8, Kalajžić 6, Tišma 5, Runjić, Vuko, Perkušić 1, Gnjidić, Dubravčić, Ljubičić 14

Photo: Split/Ivica Cavka