BARAĆ: “THE GUYS FOUGHT HARD, I HAVE NOTHING TO CRITICIZE THEM FOR; NOW TO RETURN TO THE COURT AND BE BETTER IN THE NEXT GAME”

Mega MIS basketball players were unable to defeat Zadar in their away game at the Krešimir Ćosić Arena. After 40 minutes of intense battle, the Croatian team emerged victorious in the 19th round of the ABA League with a score of 74-71 (17-17, 23-14, 16-21, 18-19) in front of their home fans. Despite Marko Barać’s players erasing a double-digit deficit and bringing the match to an uncertain conclusion, they fell short of securing their 10th win of the season, maintaining their seventh position in the standings with a 9-10 record. Meanwhile, Zadar jumped to fifth place with an 11-8 performance.

Mega MIS head coach Marko Barać shared his impressions in the post-match press conference:

“It’s always tough to play in Zadar. Good atmosphere, supportive fans, a team that has been together for the second year, playing very well and utilizing its qualities in the best possible way. It’s very challenging to play against such physical guys, especially a young team that hasn’t yet reached that level of physicality, and it showed in certain situations, especially when it comes to rebounds and loose balls. The guys fought hard; I have nothing to criticize them for, but we weren’t strong enough to secure those rebounds and prevent a lot of easy points that the home team capitalized on. The game could have gone either way; we had several transitions that we didn’t finish the way we usually do. We also had a close-range shot with Zadar leading by one, and in the end, free throws… This is another experience my team gains. It’s not easy when the game reaches a tie in front of such a crowd, it’s not easy to turn it around. We have a lot more things to work on; tonight, there wasn’t the ball movement we are known for, and we had too few assists. Certainly, we need to return to the court, analyze, and make an effort to be better in the next game. Congratulations to Zadar, and I wish them a lot of luck in the continuation,” said Barać.

In the next round of the ABA League, Mega MIS will host Mornar from Bar, with the 20th round scheduled for Sunday at noon in the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall.

Photo: KK Zadar/Zvonko Kucelin