FANTASTIC DEFENCE AND GREAT WIN OF MEGA BEMAX AFTER OT AGAINST PETROL OLIMPIJA

Mega Bemax players had strong support from fans in the PSC Pinki Hall in Sremska Mitrovica and after a great defense and reversal beat Petrol Olimpija after overtime with 81:77 (20:18, 19:30, 17:15, 18:11, 7:3) within the 4th round of the ABA league and thus kept a place at the top of the standings without defeat. Players coach Dejan Milojević were trailing 13 points in the 3rd quarter, but they played a great defense, receiving only 29 points in the second half and overtime with unreal 55 rebounds, of which 30 were offensive. The coach of Mega Bemax at this match could not count on injured Branislav Ratkovica and Milos Koprivica.

The most effective in the ranks of Mega Bemax were Nikola Miskovic with 18 points with an important three pointer in extra time, as well as Goga Bitadze with 17 while at the key moments Stefan Fundic scored 11 points and 11 rebounds, out of which 10 were offensive. Miha Lapornik with 19 points stood out in the ranks of Petrol Olimpija

Mega Bemax is the first in the ABA league table with a score of 4-0 while Petrol Olimpija have 2-2. In the next round on October 28th at 21:00, Mega Bemax will play in the Bar against Mornar.

Before the start of the match, General Manager of Mega Bemax Goran Cakic presented gift to Aleksandar Lazic, former Mega’s player and now a basketball player of Petrol Olimpija.

Dejan Milojević started the match with Asceric, Mokoka, Mushidi, Fundic and Bitadze. At the start of the match, Olimpija hits three, but immediately returned it Mokoka. After the mini-series of the visiting team for 3:9, Milojevic called a time-out, after which followed the points of Asčeric and Marjanović under the foul. Bitadze and Mega led the offence for 18:13. Olimpija did not allowed Mega to go to bigger plus, so on the first break was 20:18.

Miskovic with two triples brings plus 5 to Mega at the beginning of the second quarter, but followed a series of triples of Lapornik. At the score 31:28 for Mega, the guests make the series 0:8 and got into the lead. Bitadze and Fundic scored under the basket, but Olimpija continues with a series of hits behind the line 6.75 (total of six in the second quarter), and left with advantage of 39:48 at half-time for guests from Ljubljana.

In the third quarter, Mega held an excellent defense, but in the attack several times the ball was coming out with the biggest advantage of Petrol Olimpija plus 13, 51:64. However, in the finidh of the third period, Mega through Bitadze drops minus to  7 points, 56:63 before the last quarter

Kostja Mushidi hits the three and Stefan Fundic both free throws after steal for 61:63. Guests hit three pointer from 8 meters in the last seconds of the attack, but this did not slow down players of Mega, who through Carapic reached tie, and then after the two of Miskovic from the corner first lead after a while, 72:70. Bitadze and Carapic in the short period received 5th personal foul, but Fundic several times corrects Mega’s misses and hit after offensive rebound. At 2 minutes to the end, Mega has 74:71, but guests with free throws reached 74:74. Mega successfully defends Petrol Olimpija’s attack, and in the last 24 seconds of the regular part Mushidi and Atic missed the shots for 3 and the game went into overtime.

It seemed that Mega were goint to the loss with 74:77, but Fundic corrected the missed missed free throws of teammate, so that Miskovic scored triple with a minute to the end for 79:77. Mokoka steals the ball and Asceric hits from the corner for 81:77, so Mega finally came to a deserved victory.

Mega Bemax: Mushidi 5 (6 assists), Janjic, Marjanovic 3, Asceric 4 (7 rebounds), Miskovic 18 (6 rebounds), Carapic 9, Atic 5, Bitadze 17 (3 blocks), Mokoka 11 (6 rebounds), Fundic 11 (11 rebounds), Stanic.

Petrol Olimpija: Reynolds 4, Jones 1, Span 3, Bubnic 8, Lazic, Samanic 2, Lapornik 19, Begic 5, Badzim, Mesicek 15, Sanon 15, Radulovic 6.

Photo: Mega Bemax/Ivica Veselinov