MEGA MIS BASKETBALL PLAYERS GAVE A GOOD EFFORT BUT LOST TO CRVENA ZVEZDA IN FRONT OF 2,500 SPECTATORS IN THE HALL OF SPORTS

Mega MIS basketball players welcomed the defender of the regional throne, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, in front of about 2,500 thousand spectators in the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall. After 40 minutes of battle, in the 24th round of the ABA League, they suffered their 12th defeat of the season 78:87 (19: 25, 17:26, 17:21, 25:15). Marko Barac’s team coped well with Dusko Ivanovic’s Euroleague team in the first half. Still, in the third quarter, Zvezda took a clear advantage. The Mega MIS basketball players did not give up, so they caught up with the result in the middle of the decisive period and came within six points of the deficit. Nevertheless, the Serbian and regional champion managed to repel the rush of Barac’s young team and register a triumph. Thus, Zvezda improved its performance to 19-3, while Mega MIS, after 24 rounds, has a 12-12 score.

As many as six players in the ranks of Mega reached double-digit performance, and Nikola Đurišić led the way with 16. Matej Rudan had 15 points and eight rebounds, so with an index of 18, he was the most useful in the Mega team, while Malcolm Cazalon counted up to 14. Ahmaad Rorie also scored in double figures with 11, and Luka Cerovina and Danko Branković with 10 points each.

The most effective in the Red Star team was Ognjen Dobrić with 23 points, Hassan Martin added 16, Facundo Campazzo 15 with 11 assists, and former Mega player Filip Petrušev had 12.

Before the start of the match, the club’s general manager, Goran Ćakić, presented a gift to the young center, who, in the pink jersey, won awards for the most valuable player, the best scorer, and the best young player of the ABA league.

Zvezda opened the game with an 11:2 run, but Mega returned through Branković and fought well until the end of the quarter. Zvezda went to the first break with a six-point lead. Barać’s players reduced the deficit to three points, but then the pure quality of the Euroleague team from Mali Kalemegdan surfaced, and the red and whites managed to break away and, after 20 minutes, led with 51:36.

The talented Barać team reduced the deficit to 10 points at the beginning of the third period, but Zvezda still managed to regain control and gain a 22-point lead. Mega did not surrender. With an aggressive game in defense and sound solutions in attack, she managed to close to eight points behind with three and a half minutes to go. And then only six minus points! However, Campazzo again took the reins and enabled Zvezda to bring the match to an end.

During the breaks between the quarters, the audience in the Hall of Sports had the opportunity to greet the Junior Euroleague qualifying tournament winners, the U18 team of Mega MIS, as well as the winners of the Mini Cup in Niš, the pioneers of Banjica Mega.

In the next round, the Mega MIS team faces a clash with the Budućnosti team, scheduled for Saturday, April 8, from 7:00 p.m.

Mega MIS: Paunović, Branković 10, Rudan 15 (8 rb), Cazalon 14, Đurišić 16, Kovačević, Cerovina 10, Rorie 11, Grbović 2, Terzić, Mušikić

Red Star: Holland 2, Vildoza 4, Lazarević 5, Campazzo 15, Mitrović 2, Martin 16, Dobrić 12, Ivanovic, Ilić 2, Marković, Kuzmic 6, Petrušev 12

Photo: Mega MIS/Dragana Stjepanović