A 100-POINT WIN FOR MEGA MIS IN PODGORICA AGAINST SC DERBY FOR AN EXPRESS RETURN TO THE WINNING TRACK

The fifth victory of Mega MIS basketball players in the last six games within the ABA League. In the 19th round, they defeated the SC Derby team in the Morača hall in Podgorica 103:83 (21:19, 29:30, 28:16, 25:18). After a fairly even first half, Marko Barać’s team got away in the third quarter thanks to the great plays of Matej Rudan and Ahmaad Rorie. They gained a 13-point advantage before the decisive 10 minutes, and then very quickly took the lead with 19 points in the last period, so everything became clear in Montenegro. Mega MIS team recorded their eighth victory in the regional competition, so with an 8-11 score, they continued their fight for a place in the playoffs. The SC Derby has only one more triumph (9-10).

In the previous round, the Mega basketball players failed to surprise the Euroleague team Partizan Mozzart Bet, but tonight they once again proved that they are in great shape before the key battles, as they recorded their third consecutive away win with over 100 points scored.

Amhaad Rorie had another great game. He was an assist short of a double-double and ended the match with 21 points and a PIR of 30. Matej Rudan was the most efficient with 24 points, with fantastic percentages: 3/3 for two, 5 /6 for three, and 3/4 from the penalty line for a PIR of 27. Danko Branković was also excellent, recording a new double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for a PIR of 25. They were accompanied by Malcolm Cazalon and Nikola Đurišić with 16 points each.

In the defeated team, Danilo Tasić scored 20 points, Fletcher Magee added 16, and Tomislav Ivišić scored 12.

Fairly even fight at the start, the teams took turns in the lead, but Mega got a two-point lead before the first break after Andrija Grbović’s two-pointer with 25 seconds left. In a very efficient second part, Barać’s team managed to outscore their rivals 34:28 after Rudan’s three-pointer, but the home team managed to respond. Persistent Mega then got to a double-digit advantage less than three minutes before the big break, but a strong rush by SC Derby followed, as they closed the second part with an 11:2 run, and the teams went to the break with 50:49 in favor of the guests.

The third quarter was crucial, and Rudan and Rorie played the main roles in it. The young Croatian center scored 12 points, the American eight, but with two rebounds and assists, as well as one steal. Rorie had his show at the end of the quarter, when, with the help of Cazalon, he gave Mega a double-digit advantage (78:65). Barac’s team opened the decisive period with an 8:2 run, established complete control, and recorded another convincing triumph until the end.

With that the Mega MIS basketball players made a great intro to the Radivoje Korać Cup, which is on the schedule from February 15 to 18 in the Čair hall in Niš. Marko Barac’s team will meet Vojvodina in the quarter-finals, and the match is scheduled for Wednesday, the first day of the competition, from 9:00 pm.

Mega MIS: Branković 16 (10 rb, 25 in), Rudan 24 (27 PIR), Uskoković 2, Cazalon 16, Đurišić 16, Kovačević, Cerovina 2, Rorie 21 (9 as, 30 PIR), Grbović 6, Mušikić, Stefanović

SC Derby: Jackson 6, Mcgee 16, Pavlićević 1, Ivanović, Vučeljić 3, Slavković 7, Hadžibegović 4, Baćović, Tasić 20, T. Ivišić 12, Z. Ivišić 8, Drežnjak 6

Photo: SC Derby/Filip Roganović