FANTASTIC WIN FOR MEGA MIS IN LJUBLJANA SECURES SEMIFINAL SPOT IN ABA LEAGUE

The basketball team Mega MIS secured a spot in the semifinals of the ABA League after defeating Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana in the second match of the quarterfinal series with a score of 71:85 (22:22, 19:23, 19:21, 11:19). They confirmed their convincing victory from the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall at the start of the quarterfinals and reached the semifinals with a 2-0 lead, where they will face either Crvena Zvezda or SC Derby. Marko Barać’s team once again saved their best for last. After three fairly balanced quarters, they stepped up their game in the final one, quickly establishing a double-digit lead and taking control. They led by 17 points with just under three minutes left, making everything clear in the Stožice Arena. Mega MIS maintained their advantage and went undefeated into the semifinals.

Nikola Đurišić had another outstanding game and was among the main contributors to the victory in Slovenia, scoring 20 points. Stefan Miljenović also scored 20 points, doing significant work in the final quarter, while Andrija Jelavić added 16 points. The X-factor for Mega MIS in tonight’s game was Petar Kovačević, who scored 12 points and seven rebounds.

For Cedevita Olimpija, the most effective player was Shawn Jones, who scored 15 points, followed by Justin Cobbs, who scored one less point. Alen Omić scored 11 points, and Jaka Blažič added 10.

Mega managed to pull away with a 10:2 run at the beginning of the game, but the hosts rallied and turned the tide by the end of the first quarter. The game saw back-and-forth action until Đurišić’s basket in the final seconds sent both teams into the break tied at 22:22. The intense battle continued in the second half, with Cedevita Olimpija taking the lead until midway through the second quarter when the teams started alternating in the lead again. Thanks to Đurišić and Kovačević’s contributions, Mega MIS managed to pull away towards the end of the first half, leading 41:45 after 20 minutes.

Ljubljana’s team regained the lead early in the third quarter, but Mega responded with a 9:0 run led by Đurišić. They maintained their lead and extended it in the last minute of the quarter through Jović and Kovačević, entering the final quarter with a six-point advantage (60:66). Mega preserved their lead in the decisive quarter, reaching a double-digit lead and extending it further with Miljenović’s three-pointer with four and a half minutes remaining, making the score 64:80. They even led by 17 points in the final three minutes, making it clear that Cedevita Olimpija would find it difficult to come back. They failed to respond, allowing Marko Barać’s team to start celebrating.

Mega MIS will compete for a spot in the ABA League finals in early May against the winner of the series between Crvena Zvezda and SC Derby, with the Belgrade team leading 1-0 in the series.

Mega MIS: Milijašević 2, Miljenović 20 (5 reb, 4 ast, PIR 19), Jelavić 16 (PIR 19), Marković, Kobzystyi, Popović, Đurišić 20, Kovačević 12 (7 reb), Plavšić 6 (8 reb), Jović 4, Mušicki, Malovec 5

Cedevita Olimpija: Stewart 7, Cobbs 14, Glas 2, Blažič 10, Todorović, Hrovat, Jones 15, Ščuka 6, Klobučar 3, Omić 11, Dragić, Shashkov 3

Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Ales Fevzer