MEGA STOPPED ONE STEP AWAY FROM THE VICTORY

Basketball players of Mega Bemax did not manage to celebrate in the Basketball Center “Dražen Petrović” since Cibona won 95:93 (23:24, 23:19, 28:21, 21:29) within the 12th round of the ABA League. Players of Dejan Milojevic led with 13 points in the first quarter, were trailing 14 in the last period, after tied result in the finish, they finally lost. The coach of Mega Bemax on this match because of injuries could not count on Nikola Miskovic and Ognjen Carapic, while Petar Aranitovic debuted with 3 assists in 11 minutes.

The best in the ranks of Mega Bemax were Kostja Mushidi with 26 points and Vlatko Cancar with 23. In Cibona the best was Cleveland Melvin with 20 points.

After 12 rounds, Mega Bemax have a score of 4-8 while Cibona have a win more. In the next round on Monday, December 25th, at 6 pm, Mega Bemax in Sremska Mitrovica will host Crvena zvezda mts.

Dejan Milojevic started the match with Rebic, Mushidi, Lazic, Cancar, Bitadze. Mega started greatly match, where from the excellent defense came easy points in the attack, so with the triple of Mushidi, they had 2:9 after 2 minutes of play. After the Cibona time-out, the Mega’s players continued with good plays, Cancar scored a tough drive and a triple, and after the new points of Mushidi behind the 6.75 Mega leads with 13 points difference, 6:19. Cibona returns with a series of 8: 0 interrupted by Sinovec from the free throw line. Cibona with triples and free throws manage to lower the minus and the first quarter ends with 23:24.

Fundić is excellent at the start of the second quarter, where he scored twice from a paint an offensive rebounds. Bitadze hits layup for plus one, but  Cibona’s players are very precise for 3 points and do not allow Mega to go to the bigger plus. Rebic and Sinovec hit the three for plus 7, 32:39. With series of threes Cibona in a short period of time, got into the lead, so the half-time ended with 46:43.

Cancar opens second half with three, but Cibona replies with 5 tied points. Mushidi interrupts Cibona with a new three, but Cibona’s players continue to score behind the 6.75 line and reach plus 14, 69:55. Cancar hits triple and then Rebic steals the ball and hit layup, but the home team makes the mini-series 5:0. The quarter ended with a three pointer of Musidi for 74:64 before the last 10 minutes.

At the beginning of the last quarter, after the new three of Cibona and plus 14, Mega played well in both directions. Rebic hits three under the foul, and then lay-up. Mushidi picks up in a counter, hits with free throws and then had dunk in the counter. Bitadze finds Cancar under the basket and the result is 82:82. Cibona ties 4 points and then Sinovec after the foul on the shot for 3 hits all 3 throws. At the end of the attack, the Bosnjak hit three from the corner, Mushidi is half precise from the free-throw line, and after good defense, Sinovec is precise for 2 points. Sinovec and Bitadze blocked Cibona players twice, but Cancar fails to score from tough position under the hand of Cibona’s player for the lead. Bilinovac hits both free throws, Mushidi loses the ball in the next attack, so Cibona eventually came to a win 95:93.

Cibona: Bilinovac 7, Uljarevi  6, Ratkovica 10, Zoric 15, Coric, Melvin 20, Gilbert, Novacic 16, Bosnjak 7, Rozic, Gospic, Tomas 14.

Mega Bemax: Mushidi 26, Aranitovic, Rebic 17 (7 assists), Sinovec 12, Marjanovic, Cancar 23, Bitadze 9 (3 blocks), Jovicic, Lazic, Koprivica, Samardziski, Fundic 6.

Photo: Cibona / Željko Bakšaj, Goran Laušić & Domagoj Vranar