MEGA MIS LOST TO PARTIZAN IN THE DECISIVE GAME OF THE SUPERLEAGUE SEMIFINALS

Mega MIS basketball team failed to secure a spot in the Superleague of Serbia finals after losing to Partizan Mozzart Bet in the decisive game of the semifinal series at Aleksandar Nikolić Hall with a score of 96-68 (39-9, 8-28, 23-16, 26-21). Marko Barać’s team couldn’t match their rivals in the opening 10 minutes, finding themselves at a significant deficit. They responded well in the second quarter, winning convincingly and halving the gap. However, shooting remained an issue for Mega, who hit their first three-pointer only at the end of the third quarter, allowing the black-and-whites to pull away again. The home team entered the final 10 minutes with a substantial lead, which they defended to secure the victory. Mega MIS lost the semifinal series 1-2, marking their last 2023/24 season game.

Filip Jović stood out for Mega MIS with 21 points, followed by Andrija Jelavić with nine points and six rebounds, Nikola Đurišić with nine points, and Uroš Plavšić with eight points and four rebounds.

For Partizan, the top scorer was Zach LeDay, who scored 17 points. Danilo Anđušić and Bruno Caboclo each added 16 points, and Kevin Punter contributed 10 points.

The first quarter was tough for Mega’s team. Marko Barać’s players struggled to find their rhythm, and their opponents took advantage, steadily increasing their lead to 39-9 after 10 minutes. The young Mega MIS players didn’t give up, opening the second quarter with a 10-1 run and halving the deficit by halftime, thanks to strong performances from Plavšić, Jelavić, and Jović (47-31).

However, upon returning to the court, Partizan scored a series of points to fend off Mega’s attempt to further reduce the deficit, regaining a large lead. Barać’s young team fought until the end, trying to get back into the game, but couldn’t shake the more experienced rival. Mega struggled with their shooting, hitting their first three-pointer only at the end of the third quarter, and entered the decisive 10 minutes trailing 70-47. It quickly became clear that Mega would not be able to pull off a miracle, as Partizan maintained their lead and secured a spot in the finals.

Mega MIS thus concluded the 2023/24 season, in which they achieved excellent results and reached the semifinals of the ABA League and the Serbian Superleague.

Mega MIS: Phillips 6, Milijašević, Jelavić 9 (6 reb), Marković 6, Popović, Ilyasoglu 4, Đurišić 9, Kovačević, Petrović 2 (5 ast), Plavšić 8 (4 reb), Jović 21 (4 reb, PIR 22), Malovec 3

Partizan: Smith 3, LeDay 17, Drezgić 3, Avramović 9, Punter 10, Smailagić 5, Jaramaz, Dimitrijević 8, Trifunović 7, Anđušić 16, Ponitka 2, Caboclo 16

Photo: KK Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanović