MEGA SUPERBET TOPPLES SPLIT WITH A BUZZER-BEATER

Mega Superbet basketball players secured a victory in Round 20 of the ABA League, defeating Split 84:82 (32:14, 18:23, 17:25, 17:20) at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall. Marko Barać’s team got off to a fantastic start, winning the first quarter by 18 points, but Split slowly chipped away at the deficit and eventually erased it. The score was tied with just one second left, but Kosta Kondić found a way to score at the buzzer, securing the win for his team! Mega Superbet improved their record to 10-10, while Split suffered their 14th defeat (6-14).

Kondić, the hero of the game, finished with 13 points, but Filip Jović led the team in scoring with 15 points. The Most Valuable Player was Mihailo Petrović, who recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists, along with a 24 efficiency rating. Stefan Miljenović, who assisted Kondić’s game-winning shot from out-of-bounds, scored 14 points, while Timotej Malovec added 12 points.

For Split, Shannon Shorter scored 18 points, Boris Tišma added 15, Krešimir Ljubičić finished with 12, and Antonio Jordano scored 11.

Mega Superbet started strong, hitting three three-pointers in the opening three minutes and jumping to an 11-2 lead. The team continued to hit from distance, and after their sixth three-pointer, the scoreboard read 22:8. Miljenović then scored two more threes, contributing to an 8-point run, ending the first quarter with a 32:14 lead. However, Split opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run, showing they would not give up. They managed to cut the deficit to single digits but were held off by Malovec and Petrović, as Mega Superbet went into halftime with a 50:37 lead.

Mega maintained its advantage with shooting from long range, but Split fought back, closing the gap to just five points with two minutes left in the third quarter. Mega briefly regained a bigger lead, but Split’s three-pointer at the end of the third brought them within two possessions, trailing 67:62 going into the final period. The fourth quarter was a battle, and Split completed a comeback, leading 82:77 with one minute left. But Mega refused to give up. Petrović hit a three-pointer, then Jović stole the ball from Split and dunked it to tie the game at 82:82. Everything came down to the final second when Miljenović threw an alley-oop from the sideline to Kondić, who reacted perfectly, securing the win with a buzzer-beater.

Next up is the Radivoje Korać Cup in Niš, where Mega Superbet will face Dunav in the quarterfinals on Thursday, February 13, at 20:45. The ABA League action will resume in early March after the break for the Cup and the national team pause.

Mega Superbet: Kondić 13 (5 as), Miljenović 14, Jelavić 5 (8 rebs), Vukčević, Marković, Kroflič 2, Macura, Milijašević 9, Jović 15, Tanasković, Petrović 14 (10 as, eff 24), Malovec 12

Split: Shorter 18, Vraneš 2, Jordano 11, Katić, Tišma 15, Kučić 3, Vuko 5, Perkušić, Škara 7, Kapusta 9, Ljubičić 12

Photo: Mega Superbet