The home team started the game much better, holding an early lead of 7:2. Edin Atic and Dragan Milosavljevic responded on the other side, but they couldn’t catch up with the opponent. FMP was leading 19:12, but poor offensive decisions and defensive lapses cost them as Igokea narrowed the gap to 19:15 after ten minutes of play.
FMP increased their lead, mainly thanks to excellent shooting percentages for two-pointers. At one point, they made 10 out of 14 shots against their opponents, and when the in-form Balsa Zivanovic and Nikola Saranovic joined in, they managed to establish a double-digit lead for the first time (36:26) after a 7:0 run. Igokea couldn’t find an answer, and the FMP led 48:37 at halftime.
On the other hand, this was one of Igokea’s worst performances in recent seasons. Their poor shooting was evident, as they had a 3/22 three-point shooting ratio at one point. Their free-throw shooting was also subpar at 13/23, and they lost possession 15 times.
It’s worth noting that Velibor Milovanovic, a young player for Igokea, scored his first points in the ABA League, serving as the only bright spot in Vladimir Jovanovic’s team’s defeat.
The top scorer in the winning lineup was Matic Rebec with a double-double performance of 15 points and 10 assists. Bojan Subotic contributed 13 points, while Ognjen Kuzmic added nine assists to his 10-point performance.
The Panthers now hold a 6-13 record, while Igokea, despite the loss, remains in the upper part of the table with an 11-8 ratio. In the next round of the ABA League, FMP will visit Cedevita Olimpija, while Igokea hosts Partizan in Laktasi.