Crvena Zvezda defeated Studentski centar by 94:76 on their home court, in the 25th round of the ABA League.
The red and whites started the game better than their opponents, led by the spirited Rokas Giedraitis. The visitors were mostly trailing by two possessions, and where the Lithuanian left off, Joel Bolomboy continued, maintaining the home team’s lead. In the last two minutes, Crvena Zvezda limited the opponent to just one point, allowing them to go into the first break with a significant 12-point lead (30:18).
A real debacle threatened Studentski centar at the start of the second quarter, as Crvena Zvezda’s lead extended to 18 points (36:18). However, the team from Podgorica managed to return with an 8:0 run to reduce the deficit to a more manageable 10 points.
Yet, this didn’t shake the home team, who quickly restored their 16-point lead. Despite another surge from the Montenegrin team, narrowing the gap to 10 points at one point, Ioannis Sfairopoulos‘ team rebuffed that surge before halftime, leading 47:34.
Nemanja Nedovic opened the third quarter brilliantly, leading the red and whites to a commanding 25-point lead. He scored three three-pointers and converted one free throw due to a technical foul by coach Dejan Jakara, tallying an impressive ten points in less than three minutes. Yago dos Santos‘ return in the middle of the third quarter after several weeks due to injury was greeted with loud applause. The guests managed to string together some points through the efforts of young David Mirkovic and Mateo Dreznjak, narrowing the gap to 74:55 in favor of Crvena Zvezda heading into the final ten minutes.
A mini 5:0 run orchestrated by Milos Teodosic and Luka Mitrovic forced Dejan Jakara to call a timeout after the Serbian champions surged to a massive 79:55 lead in just under a minute. The competitive spirit dwindled towards the end of the game. Teodosic orchestrated plays for his teammates, Mitrovic had a solid quarter, as did Bolomboy, and the Montenegrin team failed to mount a comeback. As a result, Crvena Zvezda secured their 21st win.
The top scorer for the home team was Nemanja Nedovic with 16 points and 8 assists. Adam Hanga and Joel Bolomboy also played well, contributing 15 points each. There weren’t many standout players for Studentski centar, with Emir Hadzibegovic leading the scoring with 15 points. He was followed by 18-year-old David Mirkovic with 14 points and Igor Drobnjak with 12 points.
With this win, Crvena Zvezda clinched the first place ahead of the playoffs and currently stands at 21-4, while Studentski Centar is in ninth place with 11 wins and 13 losses.
In the last round, Crvena Zvezda will travel to Split, while Studentski Centar will host Buducnost.