MEGA MIS GAVE A GOOD EFFORT BUT FAILED TO SURPRISE CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA AT THE PREMIERE IN THE NEW YEAR

Mega MIS failed to surprise Cedevita Olimpija in the 13th round of the ABA League and to start the new year with a victory. In the Ranko Žeravica sports hall, after a great fight, they lost 82:96 (17:28, 23:22, 18:18, 24:28). Marko Barać’s squad was weakened against the Slovenian champion, as the hosts played without the injured first center Danko Branković and Dragan Milosavljević, who moved to Igokea. Nevertheless, Mega coped well with the team from Ljubljana even decimated but mostly chased the gap. In the third quarter, the hosts had a good run but were unable to turn it around. The visitors broke away in the last quarter, leading by 17 points, but Barac’s team did not give up. They came to minus seven, but they did not have the strength to completely trim the deficit. Mega thus has a 3-10 score after 13 rounds, while Cedevita Olimpija recorded its 10th triumph (10-2).

In the ranks of Mega, Malcolm Cazalon stood out with 22 and Ahmaad Rorie with 21 points, while Nikola Đurišić also reached double figures with 11 points.

At Cedevita Olimpija, Yogi Ferrell and Josh Adams scored 21 points each, former Mega player Karlo Matković added 12, while Amar Alibegović scored 11 points.

The visitors broke away with a 7:0 run, but Mega managed to match them, and after a three-pointer by Cazalon came within three points. However, the finish of the period belonged to Cedevita Olimpija, as the guests went to the break with 11 points surplus. For a long time, the team from Ljubljana repelled the hosts, guarding a double-digit lead, but after two three-pointers from Cazalon, Mega came to minus-seven. However, in the last seconds of the second quarter, Adams scored from a distance for 40:50 before the big break.

Mega opened the second half excellently, tightened the defense, and immediately scored four points. Showed that they will not give up in front of a favored opponent. There was a great fight, but the guests with seven straight points managed to break away again. In the end, it was as if the third period had not even been played, since the difference remained the same (58:68). Jurica Golemac’s team led with 17 points in the last quarter, but Mega did not give up. After Rorie and Cerovina’s three-pointers, they were seven points behind. However, the more experienced team from Slovenia managed to preserve the advantage and register the victory.

In the next round, Mega MIS will welcome FMP Meridian in the Sports Hall of Ranko Žeravica, and the meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 8, from 12:00.

Mega MIS: Rudan 6, Uskokovic 2, Kobzistyi, Cazalon 22, Đurišić 11, Kovačević 5, Cerovina 6, Rorie 21, Grbović 6, Marković, Mušikić 3, Stefanović.

Cedevita Olimpija: Rebec 5, Ferrell 21, Radović 2, Jeremic 3, Alibegović 11, Murić 7, Mulalić 6, Adams 21, Matković 12, Gnjidic, Omić 8.

Photo: Mega MIS/Ivica Veselinov