BARAĆ: “AN UNUSUAL GAME, BUT I HAVE TO BE SATISFIED – WE SHOWED IMPROVEMENT AND GREAT DESIRE”

Mega MIS basketball players secured a major victory in a tough away match, defeating Zadar 67:65 (21:19, 19:25, 11:12, 16:9) at the Krešimir Ćosić Arena in Round 10 of the ABA League. Marko Barać’s team trailed after 20 minutes of play and was down by as much as 11 points midway through the third quarter but refused to give up. They turned the game around early in the decisive quarter, and in a tense finish, Mega came out on top to claim an important triumph. With a 5-5 record after 10 rounds, they now have an even standing, while Zadar suffered their sixth defeat (4-6).

Mega MIS head coach Marko Barać shared his impressions during the post-game press conference:

“It was a completely unusual game, especially for us, but also considering how Mega and Zadar games have looked in previous seasons. The break due to the international windows was clearly felt. Both teams were a bit rusty, and that was evident in how difficult the game was. Zadar started with switching defenses, aiming to disrupt our ball movement, and they were quite successful at that. We persisted in focusing on our inside game, which gave us a lot during the decisive moments.

This is not the basketball we aim to play; we had been playing very well and attractively in recent weeks. However, there was a moment where fear of winning crept in, and that was evident in recent games against tough opponents, where every game was decided by a single possession. Today, I have to be satisfied. We made progress in that area, holding Zadar to nine points in the fourth quarter and just 21 in the second half while showing great desire to win. Congratulations to my players, as this will significantly boost their confidence. I wish Zadar the best of luck going forward,” said Barać.

In the next round of the ABA League, Mega MIS will host Borac Čačak at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall on Monday, December 9, at 6:00 PM.

Photo: Zadar/Zvonko Kucelin