Buducnost opened the new season of the ABA League with a convincing 103-73 victory over Zadar in front of their home crowd at the “Moraca” arena.
The game began with both teams scoring from free throws. It took some time for both teams to find their offensive rhythm, but Buducnost managed to do so first, while Zadar mostly scored from the free-throw line. Under the guidance of coach Petar Mijovic, Buducnost started shooting better, while Zadar struggled on the offensive end. At the end of the first quarter, which was characterized by missed shots and disjointed play, as well as free throws, the score was 23-17 in favor of Buducnost.
Buducnost continued to extend their lead, and they capitalized on it. At the start of the second quarter, they went on an 8-1 run, achieving a maximum 13-point lead. Once again, the main theme of this part of the game was free throws. Zadar couldn’t take advantage of them, while Buducnost performed better in that regard. However, Zadar managed to make a comeback, largely due to a stagnation in Buducnost’s offense. In the end, Buducnost reestablished a 12-point lead, and the halftime score was 46-34 in favor of Buducnost.
Second half
The team from Podgorica continued to perform well, despite some mistakes, maintaining their double-digit lead. Buducnost was relentless against their opponent. They built a new largest lead of 17 points, and Zadar continued to struggle offensively. Buducnost extended their lead to 20 points, thanks to Vladimir Mihailovic’s excellent performance, who didn’t miss a two-point shot. Zadar experienced a complete collapse in this quarter, and after this part of the game, the score was 79-56 in favor of Petar Mijovic’s team, who scored 33 points in this quarter.
The team from Moraca comfortably wrapped up this match. Their lead grew to 25 points, and Zadar simply wasn’t competitive in this game. Buducnost easily scored points in this part of the game, and it was clear long ago that they would secure a well-deserved victory. Buducnost even reached a 30-point advantage. Everything was going smoothly for the team that will also compete in the EuroCup this season. In the end, the team from the capital of Montenegro secured their first win of the season with a final score 103:73. This game was marked by free throws, with a total of 71 attempted.
The standout performers in this game for the blue and white team were Vladimir Mihailovic with 24 points, followed by Colby Ross with 15 points, and McKinley Wright with 12. For Zadar, Luka Bozic stood out, the current ABA League MVP, with 22 points and six rebounds, along with four assists. In the next match, the team from Podgorica will face their rivals, Mornar, while Zadar will try to secure a win against Studentski Centar.
BUDUCNOST-ZADAR 103:73 (23:17, 23:17, 33:22, 24:17)
Arena: “Moraca”, Podgorica
Referees: Belosevic, Jovcic, Stefanovic
Budućnost: Grbovic 5, Jones, Magee 9, Mihailovic 24, Wright 12, Ilic 6, Makoundou, Paul 5, Ross 15, Slavkovic 1, Williams 10.
Zadar: Bozic 22, Dreznjak 8, Lakic 5, Ramljak 3, Zganec 18, Grbic, Jambrovic 5, Klarica 1, Mazalin 7, Njegovan, Vujacic 2.