MAJOR VICTORY FOR MEGA MIS AGAINST IGOKEA
The Mega MIS basketball players have bounced back onto the winning track, defeating Igokea in the 13th round of the ABA League at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall with a score of 92:76 (19:24, 22:13, 30:16, 21:23). The team, led by Marko Barać, shone in the second and third quarters. With a solid and committed defense, along with brilliant play on the opponent’s half, they gradually took control during the second quarter. Then, in the third quarter, they increased the intensity even more and, at one point, gained a lead of 24 points. Although the guests managed to cut the deficit in the last 10 minutes, Mega played more focused in the final moments, thwarted the opponent’s surge, and ultimately secured a significant victory. After the first round of games in the league section of the regional competition, Mega has a record of 6-7, while the team from Laktaši, after a defeat in Belgrade, stands at 9-4.
Stefan Miljenović delivered his best performance in a Mega MIS jersey, scoring 24 points with six rebounds, earning him a game-high performance index rating of 30. Nikola Topić was on the verge of a double-double with 18 points and nine assists, achieving a PIR of 22. Uroš Plavšić contributed with 15 points. Significant contributions to the triumph were also made by Nikola Đurišić with 10 points and Andrija Jelavić, who was close to a double-double with nine points and rebounds each.
In the Igokea camp, Nikola Marić finished as the top scorer with 14 points, followed by former Mega player Dragan Milosavljević and Stefan Moody with 13 points each, while Marko Jošilo and Mario Nakić both scored 11 points.
The Mega MIS players opened the game excellently, taking a 7:2 lead. However, Igokea responded with a 9:2 run to turn the game around. Although the guests were a slightly better rival in the remainder of the quarter, Barać’s team prevented them from gaining more than a six-point advantage, resulting in a 19:24 score at halftime. In the second quarter, Mega elevated their defensive game, took control of the boards, and with contributions from Jović and Đurišić, they turned the game in their favor. With three minutes left in the half, Mega had a five-point lead, and Topić’s three-pointer set the halftime score at 41:37.
Riding the momentum from an excellent second quarter, the Mega MIS players continued their impressive performance in the third. The defense remained at a high level, and Barać’s team quickly built a double-digit lead. Then came Miljenović’s eruption, scoring 13 points, and Mega led 67:46 with two minutes left until the final quarter. After Ilyasoglu’s three-pointer, the lead extended to 24 points, but Igokea had a late surge, resulting in a 71:53 score entering the decisive 10 minutes. The guests continued with slightly better play in the fourth quarter, but Mega successfully resisted and had a ready answer for every opponent’s surge. Although Igokea managed to cut the deficit, they couldn’t seriously threaten the home team’s lead, and Mega celebrated a convincing victory in the end.
In the next round of the ABA League, Mega MIS will host Cedevita Olimpija at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall on Sunday, December 31, at noon.
Mega MIS: Miljenović 24 (6 rebounds, PIR 30), Jelavić 9 (9 rebounds), Kobzystyi, Milutinović, Ilyasoglu 3 (7 assists), Đurišić 10, Kovačević, Plavšić 15 (5 rebounds), Jović 5, Topić 18 (9 assists, PIR 22), Malovec 8
Igokea: Bošković, Atić 1, Delalić, Stanković 7, Jošilo 11, Nakić 11, Milosavljević 13, Marić 14, Carmichael 2, Jeremić 4, Moody 13
Photo: Mega MIS/Ivica Veselinov