BARAĆ: “I HAVE TO BE SATISFIED, WE CONTROLLED THE KEY ASPECTS AND SECURED A VERY IMPORTANT WIN”

Mega MIS basketball players closed out 2024 in the best possible way, defeating SC Derby 82:77 (17:20, 24:24, 23:19, 18:14) at the Morača Sports Center. Marko Barać’s team trailed at halftime but managed to take the lead late in the third quarter. They pulled away early in the decisive period and maintained their advantage with determined play on both ends of the court, securing a significant victory. Mega MIS enters 2025 with an 8-6 record in the regional competition, while SC Derby stands at 4-10 after 14 games.

Marko Barać, head coach of Mega MIS, shared his thoughts during the post-game press conference:

“I have to be satisfied and congratulate my players because this was a very tough game for us, which we expected. The SC Derby team came into this game after several consecutive losses and was undoubtedly highly motivated tonight, as the players demonstrated with 40 minutes of effort. However, we managed to control the key aspects in the best possible way. SC Derby is a team that scores a lot of points in the paint, in transition, fast breaks, and second-chance opportunities – tonight, we were able to control those aspects and secure a very important win. Was the game of the highest quality? Probably not. There are many young players on both sides, which I find encouraging. Mistakes are normal, but you could certainly see great effort and high intensity throughout the 40 minutes. In the second half, we found lineups that worked, and even at the expense of freshness, those players managed to physically handle the game excellently, and I’m very pleased. I wish the home team the best of luck moving forward,” Barać said.

Mega MIS thus wrapped up their final game of 2024, and at the start of 2025, they will host Partizan in the 15th round of the ABA League. That matchup is scheduled for Monday, January 6, at 12:00 PM at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall. Tickets for the game are already on sale.

Photo: SC Derby/Filip Roganović