BRAVE MEGA FOUGHT UNTIL THE END, ZVEZDA FROM OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS TO THE WIN

Mega in a shortened rotation fought to the end!

After a great fight and a lot of excitement, Mega Mozzart was defeated by Crvena zvezda mts with 69:76 (25:25, 15:25, 12:18, 17:13). Mega Mozzart was incomplete in this match as well, since coach Vladimir Jovanovic could not count on Malcolm Cazalon and Aleksander Balcerowski, while Borisa Simanic was injured during the match and did not return to the game after that.

The most efficient in the ranks of Mega were Karlo Matkovic with 20 and Aleksa Uskokovic with 13, while in the red and white camp, Ognjen Kuzmic was better than the others with 17, and Ognjen Dobric and Nikola Ivanovic with 11 points each.

After 19 rounds of the ABA league, Mega Mozzart has a score of 8-9 with two games less, while Crvena zvezda has a score of 16-1. Mega Mozzart will play the next two games in Podgorica, the first against SC Derby on Thursday, February 10, and the second against Buducnost VOLI on Sunday, February 13.

The special guest at the match was former Mega’s player and current Euroleague MVP Vasilije Micic.

In the starting five with Simanic, Matkovic, Smith, Djurisic and Jovic, the home team started the match well. Karlo Matkovic and Nikola Jovic were in a special mood at the start. The center Matkovic showed an exceptional attacking repertoire, scoring as many as 12 points in the opening seven minutes. On the other hand, Ognjen Kuzmic took over the role of the main scorer in Crvena zvezda. However, Mega managed to match the red and whites in the right way in terms of racing and energy, and after the points of Ruzentsev and Rudan, Mega reached a seven-point advantage (25:18).

Zvezda played much more aggressively in defense in the second quarter. In the first five minutes of the second section, only Aleksa Uskoković found his way to the basket, so the red and whites took the lead after Austin Hollins’ points (31:30). The players of coach Vladimir Jovanovic had a bad shot for three points. After the introductory triple by Jovic, the home team missed seven tied shots outside the 6.75 line. The problem was more the third personal foul of “Scoochie” Smith, which he earned in the middle of the second quarter. The period of Mega’s weaker game ended with a triple by Dejan Davidovac from 10 meters with the sound of a siren at the end of the first half, which gave Crvena zvezda the biggest advantage at that time – 45:40.

The continuation of the match brought Mega’s more nervous game, and the unchanged attitude in the penalties seemed to have additionally contributed to that. The home team missed a lot of shots, they also had several unforced lost balls, and that was followed by the injury of Borisa Simanic, who had to leave the game, and Smith’s fourth personal foul, which significantly reduced coach Jovanovic’s rotation. As in the finish of the second quarter, Zvezda played excellently in the final of the third section, so thanks to Lazic and Kalinic, they gained a double-digit lead of 63:52 for the first time.

Mega did not manage to catch the rhythm, Zvezda gained the maximum 15 points advantage (69:54). Djurisic and Uskokovic gave hope for a possible turnaround with threes, but all Mega managed to do was get six points behind (73:67). In crucial moments, Zvezda was excellent in the offensive jump, which in the end enabled it to record a victory.

Mega Mozzart: Vujic, Ruzhentsev 3, Jovic 9, Rudan 4, Uskokovic 13 (5 assists), Kocovic, Smith 2, Cerovina 2 (7 rebounds), Matkovic 20, Djurisic 10, Simanic 6 (8 rebounds), Bogavac.

Crvena zvezda mts: Lazarevic, Wolters, Davidovac 8, Mitrovic, Lazic 7, Kalinic 8, Dobric 11, Hollins 7, Ivanovic 11, Markovic, White 7, Kuzmic 17.

Photo: Mega Mozzart/Ivica Veselinov