MEGA FOUGHT UNTIL THE END, ZVEZDA EVENTUALLY TOOK LEAD 1-0 IN THE SEMIFINALS

Mega Bemax in the first semifinals of the Superleague’s play-off played a great match, but they were eventually defeated by Crvena zvezda mts with 83:72 (12:17, 26:23, 20:17, 25:15). The players of coach Dejan Milojevic had the lead over the majority of the match in the hall Aleksandar Nikolic, but in the last quarter they missed several free throws, so the home team with the few triples came to victory and lead 1:0 in the playoff series. Coach Dejan Milojevic on this match could not count on Nikola Miskovic and Andrija Marjanovic while juniors Mihailo Musikic and Marko Brekić were for the first time in the roster.

The most effective in the ranks of Mega Bemax were Luka Asceric with 20 points and Goga Bitadze with 12. In Crvena zvezda the best were Baron with 24 points and Rivers with 17.

The semi-final series is played in best of three and the next game will be played on Tuesday at 19:00 in the Mega Factory Hall. All tickets for this match are due to the high demand and limited capacity of the hall already distributed to friends of the club and sponsors so that the access to the hall and entrance will be enabled only to persons who own a ticket for the match. A possible third game in the series would be played on Thursday, June 6, in the hall Aleksandar Nikolic.

Dejan Milojević started the match with Asceric, Mokoka, Atic, Fundic and Bitadze. Excellent start of the match for Mega and lead 0:7 after 2 minutes of the game. Zvezda scored the first points after three minutes of the game, with a triple from the corner in the last second of the attack, but Asceric and Atic retain the lead of Mega, which at one point is 9 points, 8:17. With 4:0 mini series Zvezda has closed the first quarter, 12:17 for Mega, but also with 2 personal fouls of Bitadze and Mokoka.

Bitadze is splendid at the beginning of the second quarter with a dunk, a triple and then an alley-up on Carapic’s assist for 17:27. Soon afterwards, Carapic is out of the game for injury within the rebound, but returns after a few minutes. The home team came close to 2 points, 30:32, but Asceric scored an important three. Zvezda in the finish equalized in order for Carapic from free throws set Mega’s lead at halftime, 38:40.

After halftime break, Atic with three and Asceric with tough lay-up took Mega to 40:45, but the problem is 4th personal foul for Mokoka, as well as four Mega’s players have 3 personal fouls. In the 24th minute, Crvena Zvezda gets to the first lead 47:46, but Asceric quickly returns the advantage. Fundić hits 3 times from the paint under contact, in the short run, Mega leads 49:55. However, new problems with the fouls, Bitadze gets 4th personal, and Zvezda comes to lead 58:57 before the last 10 minutes of the game.

In the last quarter Crvena zvezda with a series of three increased advantage, Mega misses several free throws, and the home team arrives to plus 8. Mega did not gave up until the end, but after the 5th personal fouls of Fundic and Bitadze failed to take back lead in the match, in the end, Zvezda celebrated with 83:72.

Crvena zvezda mts: Covic 14, Keselj, Davidovac, Nenadic, Lazic 2, Faye 7, Baron 24, Dobric 13, Ristic 2, Simanic, Rivers 17, Ojo 4.

Mega Bemax: Brekic, Janjic, Zaric, Asceric 20, Carapic 8, Atic 9 (6 rebounds, 6 assists), Bitadze 12 (8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks), Koprivica 2, Musikic, Mokoka 5, Ilic (6 rebounds), Fundic 10.

Photo: Mega Bemax/Ivica Veselinov