GREAT LAST QUARTER OF MEGA FOR WIN IN LJUBLJANA

Mega Bemax players have successfully started the new year since they celebrated in Ljubljana against Petrol Olimpija with 69:76 (18:15, 18:15, 18:19, 15:27). Players of the coach Dejan Milojević, came to the win in 15th round of ABA League after a thrilling finish at the hall Stozice, where they returned twice from a double-digit defeat to earn a great victory with series 7:23 the last 6 minutes of the match. The coach of Mega Bemax becaus of injuries on this match could not count on Ognjen Carapic, Petar Aranitovic and Nikola Miskovic, as well as sick Andrija Marjanovic, while Ognjen Jaramaz did not enter the game in Ljubljana.

The best in the ranks of Mega Bemax were Nikola Rebic with 19 points, 7 assists and 5 steals, as well as Goga Bitadze with 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the home team, Domen Lorbek scored 16 points.

After 15 games, Mega Bemax and Petrol Olympija are equal with 5 wins, and in the next round on January 13, at 7 pm, Mega Bemax will in Sremska Mitrovica welcome Buducnost VOLI.

Dejan Milojevic started the match with the following five: Rebic, Mushidi, Lazic, Cancar and Bitadze. Good defense of Mega’s players at the start of the match and a small number of points on both sides. In the middle of the period, Mega leads with 5:6. Rebic and Mushidi hit shots, on the other side Olimpija binds two threes for lead 16:12. In the finish of quarter Koprivica hits under the foul after Rebic assist for 18:15 after the first 10 minutes of the game.

The second quarter opens Olimpija with tied 4 points, so coach Mege Dejan Milojevic has called a time-out. Olimpija series briefly interrupts Rebic with a triple, but the home team continues to score for 32:20 with 4 minutes to halftime. Sinovec hits the long two and then he and Rebic are precise for 3 points, so the minus is halved to 6 points, 36:30 before going on half-time break.

Bad start of the second half for players of Mega and home team with two triples is reaching the biggest plus 13, 44:31. Mega manages to consolidate in the defense and on the other side of the court from the free throw line slowly melts the minus. For a long time, the difference ranged between 7 and 9 points, so that in the finish of the quarter Mega over Rebic and Fundic lowered minus to 3 points, 50:47. The result before the last 10 minutes puts Cancar with lay-up for 54:49.

After the exchange of points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the home team with threes arrived at plus 9, 62:53. Lazic launches Mega with a brilliant dunk, and then Rebic hits the three and field goal for 62:60 with under 5 minutes to the end. After a couple of attacks without points on both sides, Mega equalizes with free throws and then Mushidi hits the three from the corner for 64:65. Morgan returns the advantage to the home team, Bitadze is fouled, hits the first free-throw, and after the missed second, Mega catches offensive rebound so that Rebic scores from the distance, 66:68. Lorbek is half-precise from the free-throw line, and then Mushidi hits the crucial three from the corner under the foul for 67:72. By the end of the match Bitadze secured a victory for Mega for the final 69:76.

Petrol Olimpija: Kastrati, Barbaric, Radulovic 8, Tratnik 6, Oliver 8, Span 7, Bubnic, Badzim 4, Morgan 10, Lorbek 16, Battle 2, Hrovat 8.

Mega Bemax: Mushidi 11, Rebic 19 (7 rebounds, 5 steals, PIR 24), Sinovec 7, Cancar 9 (10 rebounds), Jaramaz, Bitadze 12 (10 rebounds), Jovicic, Lazic 9 (12 rebounds), Koprivica 5, Samardziski, Fundic 4, Kapetanovic.

Photo: Petrol Olimpija/Ales Fevzer