Studentski centar caused a surprise in the second semifinal of the ABA Super Cup, defeating Buducnost with a score of 69:63.
Studentski centar opened the game with an 11-0 run. Buducnost took the lead early in the second quarter, but the current vice-champion of Montenegro quickly regained the lead. At one point, they had a nine-point advantage and went into halftime with a 35-29 lead.
During the third quarter, there was a fierce battle, but Buducnost couldn’t manage to come back. At the beginning of the final period, SC Derby had an eight-point lead. Buducnost tried to make a comeback but failed.
Aubrey Dawkins led Studentski centar to victory with 24 points, while Marvin Jones had 14 points for Buducnost.
SC Derby will face Partizan in the final, as Partizan defeated Igokea 91:84 in the first semifinal.
Flow of the game
SC Derby opened the game excellently, taking an 11-0 lead thanks to the impressive performance of Aubrey Dawkins. Buducnost struggled and couldn’t find a good solution in the offensive phase.
Vladimir Mihailovic’s three-pointer sparked Buducnost, which scored nine consecutive points to get back into the game. After the first quarter, Studentski centar had a two-point lead.
Buducnost took a 14-13 lead with a three-pointer by Fletcher Magee. Through a series of good plays by Tomislav Ivisic, Studentski centar regained the lead and built a seven-point advantage.
After a dunk by Kenan Kamenjas, Studentski centar extended their lead to nine points. In the final moments of the first half, Budućnost tried to catch up and managed to reduce the deficit to just one point with an 8-0 run. However, Andrej Zakelj’s team went into halftime with a 35-29 lead.
At the start of the second half, we saw a better rhythm than in the first part of the game. Studentski centar maintained their lead and jealously guarded the advantage they had built during the first 20 minutes of the game. However, Buducnost managed to equalize.
After the third quarter, Coach Zakelj’s team had a three-point lead. Mateo Dreznjak extended his team’s lead by six points with a three-pointer at the start of the final quarter. At one point, Studentski centar had a ten-point lead.
Buducnost made a comeback with a 7-0 run. SC Derby then scored five consecutive points, re-establishing a significant lead. The Montenegrin champions didn’t give up and tried to make a comeback but couldn’t find enough good solutions, ultimately accepting defeat.
BUDUCNOST – STUDENTSKI CENTAR 63:69 (11:13, 18:22, 17:14, 17:20)
Arena: Moraca, Podgorica;
Referees: Obrknezevic, Mustapic, Calic
Buducnost: Mihailovic 13, Ilic 0, Magee 6, Ross 11, Slavkovic 4, Grbovic 0, Jones 14, Jagodic Kuridza 7, Williams 2, Reynolds 4, Wright 2, Popovic 0
Studentski centar: Bogavac 0, Pavlicevic 6, Hadzibegovic 3, Bacovic 6, Ivisic 8, Dawkins 24, Drobnjak 0, Dreznjak 5, Goranovic 0, Kamenjas 9, Kapusta 6, Mirkovic 2