MEGA MIS ENDED THE 2022/23 SEASON WITH A DEFEAT AGAINST FMP IN THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE SUPER LEAGUE OF SERBIA

The rejuvenated team of Mega MIS failed to extend the semi-final series of the Serbian Super League, as it got defeated in the second match in Železnik by the team of FMP Soccerbet 96:70 (25:16, 18:18, 29:17, 24:19). Marko Barać’s men did not open the game well, the host got to a big lead in the early stages, but they recovered in time and halved the deficit in the second quarter. It was a big fight until the middle of the third quarter when FMP broke away again. The Mega MIS team had the strength for another push in the decisive period, but the team from Železnik repelled it, kept the surplus, and brought the match to an end in their favor.

Mega MIS thus ended the 2022/23 season, during which it reached the final of the Radivoj Korać Cup and quarterfinals of the ABA League as sixth-placed in the table with a score of 12-14, while in the Serbian Superliga took first place from Group B, with five victories, and with one loss, and won a place in the semi-finals.

The last meeting in the competitive year was marked by Matej Rudan with 18 (18 PIR) and Filip Jović with 17 points (20 PIR), while captain Luka Cerovina scored 11. Young Andrej Mušicki scored nine points.

Mega MIS played the semi-finals with only two players born before 2000, and Ognjen Nikolić (2006) also debuted against FMP in the senior team.

Ebuka Izundu stood out in the winning team with 22 points, Ranko Simović added 19, Aleksa Stepanović 17, and Charles Moore finished the match with 13 points.

The home team opened the match with six tied points, Mega responded, but a run of 12:2 by FMP followed, so soon the advantage of the team from Železnik grew to plus 16. However, Marko Barać’s players faltered after the time-out and ended the opening quarter with seven tied points and went to the first break with 25:16 on the scoreboard. The Mega MIS basketball players continued in a good rhythm, reducing the deficit to six points. A big fight for every possession followed, but the host regained a double-digit lead, and after another good sequence by Barac’s team at the end of the quarter, after 20 minutes of play, the scoreboard read 43:34.

The rejuvenated Mega team held on well in the opening minutes of the second half, but a new big run was followed by FMP, who established control and gained a 21-point advantage before the decisive quarter. Jović started the Mega MIS team at the start of the last quarter, and they immediately cut the gap in half. Still, the team from Železnik managed to repel the onslaught of Barać’s team, regained a significant advantage, and finally registered a triumph.

Mega MIS: Rudan 18 (18 PIR), Uskoković 6 (6 as), Cerovina 11, Marković 4 (6 rb), Terzić 3, Paunović, Srzentić, Kovačević 2, Nikolić, Jović 17 (20 PIR), Milosavčević, Mušicki 9

FMP Soccerbet: Moore 13, Stepanović 17, Šaranović 6, Simović 19, Izundu 22, Beech 7, Pavićević 4, Todorić, Matović 2, Vuković 2, Jenkins 4

Photo: FMP Soccerbet/Ivica Veselinov