BARAĆ: “WE LACKED ENOUGH TOUGHNESS AT THE START OF THE GAME, RESPONDED WITH AN ATYPICAL LINEUP, BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH”

The Mega MIS basketball team failed to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Radivoj Korac Cup, losing to Vojvodina MTS with a score of 92-100 (15-26, 23-31, 30-29, 24-14) in the quarterfinals of the tournament at the Čair Hall in Niš. Coach Marko Barać’s players found themselves in a double-digit deficit in the first quarter, managed to find an offensive rhythm in the second, but couldn’t stop the inspired opponent, resulting in a significant disadvantage after 20 minutes. Although Mega’s players managed to cut the deficit in the third quarter, Vojvodina, with a three-pointer from their half in the final seconds, once again pulled away before the last 10 minutes. This basket provided a new impetus to the Novi Sad team, which regained a significant lead, but Mega refused to surrender. They managed to reduce the deficit but couldn’t force an uncertain ending, ultimately missing a place among the top four teams in Niš.

“We didn’t enter the game the way I wanted. I was aware of all the qualities of Vojvodina, the way they play, the toughness, and the quality they possess. We lacked enough toughness at the start of the game, and it continued the same way on both sides. We didn’t control the ball well or the rhythm of the attack. There were a lot of bad readings, and very simple situations where the ball needed to move quickly, but we didn’t do that. The result was a tightness in the attack, which also caused magically lost balls. We needed time to adapt to the environment, the balls, and other rules, and when we entered with an atypical lineup, we managed to give some kind of response. It wasn’t enough; Vojvodina was better, and I wish them luck in the next phase,” said Barać.

The Mega MIS basketball team will continue their season with the 21st round of the ABA League against Krka in Novo Mesto, scheduled for early March.

Photo: Dragana Stjepanović