MEGA MIS BATTLED HARD AGAINST CRVENA ZVEZDA, BUT FAILED TO SECURE A MAJOR VICTORY

Mega MIS basketball team delivered another excellent match against one of the favorites for the top spot in the Adriatic League. In the 11th round of the ABA League, held at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall, they were neck and neck with Crvena Zvezda until the final moments, where the experience of the Serbian representative in the EuroLeague ultimately prevailed, resulting in a victory for the guests with a final score of 88:98 (27:22, 13:26, 30:20, 18:30). Marko Barać’s team had a strong start, leading after the initial 10 minutes, but they couldn’t maintain the advantage until halftime. However, in the third quarter, they played exceptionally well on both ends of the court, staging a comeback. They held their ground against the favored opponent until the last minute when the guests secured a crucial lead and clinched the victory. After 11 matches, Mega MIS has a record of 5-6, while Crvena Zvezda leads the regional competition with just one loss (10-1).

Nikola Topić was the top scorer for Mega with 21 points, also contributing five rebounds and five assists for a PIR of 23. He was followed by Uroš Plavšić with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Nikola Đurišić added 12 points. Andrija Jelavić was close to a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds, and Omercan Ilyasoglu also scored in double digits with 11 points and six assists.

For Crvena Zvezda, Nemanja Nedović led the scoring with 23 points, followed by Miloš Teodosić with two points less, and Joel Bolomboy with 12 points.

Before the match, general manager оf Mega MIS, Goran Ćakić, presented a special gift to former Mega player Marko Simonović, who has been playing for Crvena Zvezda since last summer.

Mega had a fantastic start to the match, taking control led by Plavšić and Đurišić to lead 17-10. The opponent tried to make a comeback, but Barać’s team consistently maintained the lead, ending the first quarter with a score of 27-22. The guests turned the game around at the start of the second quarter, but Mega did not give up. The game was tied, followed by a fierce battle on both ends of the court. However, the more experienced Crvena Zvezda lineup managed to establish a more significant lead before halftime (40-48).

As Mega opened the game, they also started the third quarter. With great energy and accurate shots from Topić and Jelavić from a distance, they quickly equalized in less than four minutes (52-52). Topić stepped up, and Barać’s players made another surge. After a three-pointer from Miljenović in the last minute of the third quarter, they took the lead, heading into the decisive period with 70-68 on the scoreboard. As expected, a great battle unfolded in the final quarter. Defenses were elevated to the highest level, with Topić, Đurišić, and Miljenović maintaining Mega’s lead for a long time. Still, the experience of the EuroLeague squad from Mali Kalemegdan emerged in the end. Crvena Zvezda pulled away in the last moments and secured the victory.

Mega MIS: Miljenović 6, Jelavić 11 (8 rebounds), Kobzystyi 3, Popović, Milutinovuić, Ilyasoglu 11 (6 assists), Đurišić 12, Kovačevič, Plavšić 16 (11 rebounds), Jović 6, Topić 21 (PIR 23), Malovec 2

Crvena Zvezda: Lazarević 2, Teodosić 21, Davidovac 7, Mitrović 8, Lazić 5, Simonović 8, Napier, Tobey 2, Bolomboy 12, Nedović 23, Giedraitis 3, Dos Santos 7

In the next round, Mega MIS will visit the Split team at Gripe, with the match scheduled for Monday, December 18, at 18:00.

Photo: Mega MIS/Dušan Milenković/Ivica Veselinov