THE JUNIORS OF MEGA SUPERBET DEFEAT CIBONA TO REACH ANOTHER U19 ABA LEAGUE FINAL

Four-time defending champions Mega Superbet will play for their sixth U19 ABA League title after a convincing 104–86 victory over Cibona in the first semifinal of the Final Four tournament in Laktaši. Milan Vidosavljević’s team built a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter, which they quickly extended to 22 points early in the second. Although Cibona mounted a brief comeback in the final period, Mega Superbet held firm and secured a dominant win to book their spot in the final.

A total of six players scored in double figures for the winning side. Ognjen Srzentić led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds, posting a game-high efficiency rating of 27.

– We started the game well and had a 20-point lead at halftime. We showed we were the better team. There was a bit of a drop later on, but we had built a big enough lead that it wasn’t in danger. Congrats to Cibona—we’re now fully focused on the final,

said Srzentić.

Ognjen Nikolić and Abdramane Sibi added 16 points each, Džek Kajil chipped in with 15, and Pavle Bačko posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Urban Kroflič also reached double figures with 12 points and 8 boards. Mega completely dominated the paint, finishing the game with 51 rebounds to Cibona’s 25.

Head coach Milan Vidosavljević started the game with the lineup of Džek Kajil, Urban Kroflič, Ognjen Srzentić, Ognjen Nikolić, and Abdramane Sibi. The first five minutes saw a slow scoring pace, with the teams trading baskets and Cibona briefly leading 11–10. Mega then stepped up their intensity and closed the quarter with a 13-point advantage (32–19). In the second period, the Belgrade side completely took control, opening the quarter with a 9–0 run to go up by 22. In addition to their scoring dominance, Mega controlled the glass, grabbing 27 rebounds in the first half alone.

Cibona came out stronger after the break, scoring 32 points in the third quarter and trimming the deficit to 13. They got as close as 11 points early in the fourth, but Džek Kajil and Ognjen Srzentić responded with five unanswered points to snuff out the comeback attempt. Despite Cibona’s efforts, Mega maintained their composure and closed out the game in dominant fashion.

Mega Superbet will play for their fifth consecutive—and sixth overall—U19 ABA League title on Wednesday at 6 PM, facing the winner of the second semifinal between FMP and Igokea.

Mega Superbet scorers: Kajil 15, Vojinović 8, Danilović –, Kroflič 12, Sibi 16, Karalić 2, Mušikić –, Bačko 14 (12 rebounds), Nikolić 16, Srzentić 19, Ostojić –, Iles 2.

Photo: ABA League/Dragana Stjepanović