MEGA SUPERBET PUT UP A STRONG FIGHT BUT FELL LATE AGAINST CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

in Round 11 of the ABA League at Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall and, after 40 minutes of hard-fought basketball, suffered a 72–90 defeat (16:25, 21:17, 21:16, 14:32). Vule Avdalović’s team trailed after the opening 10 minutes but, with strong play on both ends of the floor, managed to claw their way back and even take the lead in the third quarter, entering the final period tied. Mega stayed competitive against the more experienced opponent until the closing minutes, when the visitors from Ljubljana pulled away to secure the win. After 10 games, Mega Superbet now holds a 3–7 record, while Cedevita Olimpija improved to 9–1 with their ninth victory.

The standouts for Mega Superbet were Bogoljub Marković, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds (PIR 27), and Savo Drezgić with 20 points. Asim Đulović added nine points, while Kyrell Luc scored eight.

For Cedevita Olimpija, Aleksej Nikolić led the way with 17 points, followed by Umojha Gibson with 13, while Thomas Kennedy added 12 and Will McNair chipped in 11.

The visitors opened the game strongly, taking an early 10–2 lead and building a double-digit advantage midway through the first quarter. The margin grew to 16 points, but Mega responded late in the opening period, trimming the deficit to single digits (16:25). Avdalović’s squad continued their solid play after the break, cutting the gap to 23–27 early in the second quarter. Although Cedevita Olimpija briefly pulled away again, Mega mounted another surge and tied the game at 37–37 with two minutes left before halftime. The Slovenian side closed the half with five straight points to lead 42–37 at the break.

Once again, the visitors opened up a double-digit lead early in the third quarter, but Mega reacted well, cutting it to 49–51 and then taking the lead on a Drezgić three-pointer with three minutes remaining in the period (54–53). The teams traded baskets down the stretch, and the game entered the final quarter tied at 58–58. As expected, the last period was fiercely contested, but the more experienced Cedevita Olimpija managed to pull away in the final minutes and seal the victory.

In the next round of the ABA League, Mega Superbet will travel to Podgorica to face Budućnost VOLI on Friday, December 26, with tip-off scheduled for 18:00 at Morača Sports Center.

Mega Superbet: Milenković, Luc 8, Đulović 9, Drezgić 20, Marković 18 (15 reb, PIR 27), Vukčević 8, Kroflič 5, Siby 4, Suigo, Srzentić, Gačić, Mušicki

Cedevita Olimpija: Gibson 13, Girard 5, McNair 11, Nikolić 17, Brajković, Blažič 7, Ustun, Ciperle, Cerkvenik 7, Škara 9, Chougkaz 9, Kennedy 12

Photo: Mega Superbet