Zadar defeated Mega after a drama, Studentski centar dominated Krka
0![Zadar defeated Mega after a drama, Studentski centar dominated Krka Zadar-Ramljak](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Zadar-Ramljak.jpg)
Photo: Zadar (Zvonko Kucelin)
Zadar secured a 74:71 win over Mega on their home court in a tense finish, marking the 19th round of the ABA League.
The game started off with relatively low efficiency. In such circumstances, the visiting team had a slight edge, finding their way to the opponent’s basket more frequently. On the other hand, Zadar struggled to find their offensive rhythm, with some defensive lapses, resulting in Mega holding a five-point lead, reflecting the shifting balance of power towards the end of the opening quarter.
As the game progressed, Zadar intensified their aggression and, fueled by fervent support from the fans, gradually began to assert control on the court. With some defensive shortcomings from Mega, which Marko Barac found unsatisfactory, the home team found their shooting range, leading to a 34:23 advantage for Zadar after a three-pointer from Marko Ramljak. Zadar managed to maintain a similar lead going into halftime.
Mega didn’t allow Zadar to build a significant lead. Early in the second half, they went on a 6:0 run, with Filip Jovic’s basket bringing them within five points. Timotej Malovec and Stefan Miljenovic orchestrated several excellent attacks, closing the gap to just three points. Despite some minor fluctuations, Mega kept pace, entering the final 10 minutes trailing 56:52.
Zadar managed to extend their lead once again, reaching a more comfortable eight-point advantage after consecutive baskets from Ramljak. Barac’s team, however, refused to surrender. Following another three-pointer from Miljenovic, they closed the deficit to just half a point with a little over two minutes remaining. A true nail-biter ensued – Dario Dreznjak made only one free throw for Zadar to go up by two, and then Mega had 14 seconds to either tie the game or secure the win. Omercan Ilyasoglu was fouled but only converted one free throw, after which Bozic made both free throws for Zadar. After that, there was no coming back for the visitors.
The top scorers for the winners were Luka Bozic and Karlo Zganec with 20 and 16 points respectively. Nikola Djurisic led the guests with 17 points.
In the next round, Zadar will visit Crvena Zvezda, while Mega will host Mornar.
In the second game of the day, Studentski centar dominated Krka on the road by 97:72.
In the winning team, Emir Hadzibegovic led with 20 points, followed by Mateo Dreznjak with 18 and Luka Bogavac with 15 points. For Krka, Miha Cerkvenik scored 16 points, with Miha Skedelj contributing 12 points.
Following this game, Krka now has a record of 4 wins and 15 losses, tied for the last place with Mornar. The Montenegrin team has secured their ninth win, alongside 10 losses, placing them in 7th position in the ABA League standings.
In the next round, Krka will travel to face Cibona, while Studentski centar will host Borac Cacak.