Round 3 (Second Stage): Bosna upset Igokea

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The biggest surprise of round 3 in ABA League took place in Beograd where host Mega BG (8-11) beat Borac (7-12) 95-77 on Sunday evening. Mega BG outrebounded Borac 36-25 including 25 on the defensive glass. Mega BG looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Mega BG made 11 blocks. The best player for the winners was forward Bogoljub Markovic (210-2005) who scored 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Guard Savo Drezgic (193-2006, college: Georgia) chipped in 19 points and 6 assists. Mega BG's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Nikola Manojlovic (201-2002, agency: Octagon Europe) who recorded 7 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Borac will play next round against strong Ilirija trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Mega BG will try to continue on its current victory against Krka in Novo Mesto.
Croatian Zadar (7-12) recorded a loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by Slovenian Krka (7-12) 72-66. It was a good game for point guard Niko Bacvic (191-1997) who led his team to a victory with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Sukhmail Mathon contributed with 12 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Krka's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Lovro Mazalin (204-1997) answered with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds for Zadar. Krka will play against Mega BG in Beograd in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Zadar will play on the road against FMP BG in Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
An interesting game was played in Aleksandrovac where Bosna (#1) beat host Igokea (#1) 73-66 on Saturday evening. It was a great evening for Janari Joesaar who led his team to a victory scoring 20 points and 9 rebounds. Bosna S.'s coach used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Strahinja Gavrilovic with 17 points. Bosna will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Igokea will play against Cedevita Ol. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 3 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
FMP BG was defeated by Ilirija in Ljubljana 106-101. Vienna beat Derby at home 91-79. Split was destroyed by Spartak on the opponent's court 92-71. Buducnost managed to outperform Cluj Napoca in a home game 94-89. Crvena zvezda was rolled over Dubai on the road 114-91. Partizan defeated Cedevita Ol. on its own court 86-70.
The best stats of 3rd round was 19 points and 7 rebounds by Bruno Fernando of Partizan.

Play-Out

Zadar - Krka 66-72

Croatian Zadar (7-12) recorded a loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by Slovenian Krka (7-12) 72-66. Krka made 17-of-21 charity shots (81.0 percent) during the game. It was a good game for point guard Niko Bacvic (191-1997) who led his team to a victory with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. American center Sukhmail Mathon (208-1998, college: Boston U.) contributed with 12 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Krka's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Lovro Mazalin (204-1997) answered with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds and Montenegrin point guard Vladimir Mihailovic (193-1990) added 18 points and 4 assists in the effort for Zadar. Krka will play against Mega BG in Beograd in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Zadar will play on the road against FMP BG in Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Krka: B.Niko 17+9reb+6ast, M.Sukhmail 12+6reb+1ast, Z.Smrekar 8+9reb+2ast, R.Jan 8+1reb, S.Leon 7+1reb+2ast, M.Blaz 5+1reb
Zadar: L.Mazalin 19+10reb+2ast, V.Mihailovic 18+4reb+4ast, K.Zganec 8+4reb+1ast, M.Ramljak 8+7reb+1ast, K.Klarica 5+5reb+1ast, B.Tisma 5+4reb

Ilirija - FMP BG 106-101

There was a minor upset in Ljubljana where Serbian FMP BG (7-12) was defeated by Slovenian Ilirija (7-12) 106-101 on Friday. Ilirija made 35-of-38 free shots (92.1 percent) during the game. It was a great evening for Serbian center Boban Marjanovic (224-1988) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Mark Padjen (196-2006) helped adding 26 points. The best for the losing side was swingman Filip Barna (201-1999) with 21 points and 6 assists (went 10 for 10 at the free throw line !!!) and guard Lazar Stefanovic (201-2002, college: UCLA) scored 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. FMP BG's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Ilirija will meet Borac (#6) in the next round. FMP BG will play against Zadar (#2) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ilirija: M.Padjen 26+2reb+2ast, M.Boban 20+11reb, P.Petar 16+3reb+3ast, E.Muric 16+6reb+2ast, J.Robert 14+4reb+1ast, T.Tomazic 6+3reb
FMP BG: F.Barna 21+4reb+6ast, J.Scott 18+1reb+1ast, S.Lazar 17+6reb+2ast, C.Eugene 14+1reb, R.Dusan 10+4reb+5ast, R.Filip 7+3reb

Vienna - Derby 91-79

The game between closely ranked teams ended with Austrian BC Vienna's (6-13) home victory over Montenegrin Derby (4-15) 91-79 on Saturday. Vienna dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Derby's 40. Vienna had a 16-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for Serbian center Marko Pavicevic (209-2001, agency: Octagon Europe) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. Lithuanian forward Simas Jarumbauskas (200-2000) helped adding 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was power forward Aleksa Ilic (204-1996) with 22 points and 5 rebounds (on 10-of-11 shooting from the field) and American guard Darius Johnson (185-2002, college: UCF, agency: Inception Sports) scored 11 points and 9 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. BC Vienna will meet Split (#9) on the road in the next round. Derby will play against Ilirija and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Vienna: P.Marko 26+12reb+1ast, J.Simas 22+9reb+4ast, B.Souley 16+3reb+6ast, T.Cotton 10+2reb+4ast, S.Vojislav 5+1reb+1ast, H.Samuel 4+1reb+1ast
Derby: A.Ilic 22+5reb, V.Zoran 14, M.Rebec 12+1reb+8ast, D.Johnson 11+3reb+9ast, N.Pavlicevic 8+5reb, M.Dreznjak 8+1reb+3ast

Mega BG - Borac CA 95-77

The biggest surprise of round 3 in ABA League took place in Beograd where host Mega BG (8-11) beat Borac (7-12) 95-77 on Sunday evening. Mega BG outrebounded Borac 36-25 including 25 on the defensive glass. Mega BG looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Mega BG made 11 blocks. The best player for the winners was forward Bogoljub Markovic (210-2005) who scored 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Guard Savo Drezgic (193-2006, college: Georgia) chipped in 19 points and 6 assists. Mega BG's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Nikola Manojlovic (201-2002, agency: Octagon Europe) who recorded 7 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and guard Aleksa Uskokovic (189-1999) added 16 points respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Borac will play next round against strong Ilirija trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Mega BG will try to continue on its current victory against Krka in Novo Mesto.
Top scorers:
Mega BG: B.Markovic 20+6reb+3ast, D.Savo 19+2reb+6ast, L.Kyrell 15+1ast, S.Luigi 10+12reb+1ast, A.Musicki 8+6ast, G.Lazar 8+2reb
Borac CA: A.Uskokovic 16+1reb+1ast, P.Nikolic 10+3reb+1ast, J.Pierre-Louis 10+1reb+2ast, S.Fundic 10+3reb+5ast, C.Uros 8+2reb+2ast, N.Manojlovic 7+10reb+6ast

Spartak - Split 92-71

Very expected game in Subotica where Croatian Split (4-15) was rolled over by Serbian Spartak (10-9) 92-71 on Sunday. Spartak looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for American swingman Javontae Hawkins (196-1993, college: Fordham) who led his team to a victory scoring 16 points. Guard Uros Banjac (198-2001) helped adding 14 points. The best for the losing side was Bosnian-Croatian forward Dario Dreznjak (204-1998) with 14 points and 6 rebounds and American center Jake Stephens (213-1999, college: Chattanooga) scored 11 points and 6 rebounds. Four Split players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Spartak will meet Borac (#6) in the next round. Split will play against Vienna and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Spartak: H.Javontae 16+4reb+2ast, U.Banjac 14+2reb+1ast, M.Stefan 10+3reb+3ast, B.Bodrozic 9+3reb, I.Dalibor 9+6reb+1ast, N.Danilo 9+4reb+1ast
Split: D.Dreznjak 14+6reb, Z.Dragic 12+5reb, J.Stephens 11+6reb+1ast, M.Teyvon 11+3ast, K.Vito 7+2reb+2ast, A.Jordano 6+1reb+2ast

Top 8

Igokea - Bosna S. 66-73

An interesting game was played in Aleksandrovac where Bosna (#1) beat host Igokea (#1) 73-66 on Saturday evening. Bosna forced 24 Igokea turnovers. It was a great evening for Estonian forward Janari Joesaar (198-1993, college: UTRGV) who led his team to a victory scoring 20 points and 9 rebounds. Puerto Rican Alfonso Plummer (185-1997, college: Illinois) helped adding 18 points. Bosna S.'s coach used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Serbian power forward Strahinja Gavrilovic (204-1993, college: USC, agency: Octagon Europe) with 17 points and American guard Ahmaad Rorie (186-1995, college: Montana) scored 13 points and 6 assists. Bosna will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Igokea will play against Cedevita Ol. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bosna S.: J.Janari 20+9reb+2ast, P.Alfonso 18+1reb+3ast, Y.Michael 8+4reb, C.Dontay 6+4reb+8ast, S.Djoko 6+3reb+2ast, A.Edin 5+1reb+2ast
Igokea: S.Gavrilovic 17+4reb+1ast, N.Pierre-Louis 13+4reb+2ast, A.Rorie 13+3reb+6ast, D.Milosavljevic 6+6reb+2ast, J.Bess 6+2reb, V.Ilic 6+7reb

Buducnost - Cluj Napoca 94-89

The game between closely ranked teams ended with Montenegrin Buducnost's (15-4) home victory over Romanian Cluj Napoca (10-8) 94-89 on Saturday. Buducnost made 27-of-30 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game, while Cluj Napoca only scored seven points from the stripe. It was a great evening for Nigerian-American Rasheed Sulaimon (194-1994, college: Maryland) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points. French Axel Bouteille (201-1995) helped adding 12 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Serbian center Dusan Miletic (213-1998) with 9 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists and Cuban swingman Karel Guzman (192-1995) scored 19 points. Five Buducnost and four Cluj Napoca players scored in double figures. Cluj Napoca's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Buducnost will meet at home Dubai in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Cluj Napoca will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Buducnost: S.Rasheed 23+1ast, M.Skylar 18+2reb, M.Juwan 13+6reb+2ast, B.Axel 12+6reb+3ast, F.Yogi 11+3reb+5ast, B.Jerry 9+4reb+1ast
Cluj Napoca: K.Guzman 19+3reb+1ast, D.Russell 16+4ast, T.Woodbury 13+2reb+7ast, M.Creek 13+3reb, D.Miletic 9+14reb+6ast, I.Molinar 8+2ast

Dubai - Crvena zvezda 114-91

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when Serbian Crvena zvezda (14-5) was outplayed on the road by UAE Dubai (17-2) 114-91 on Sunday. Dubai dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Crvena zvezda's 40 and made 18-of-21 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game. Dubai looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Crvena zvezda's players. It was a great evening for American Dwayne Bacon (201-1995, college: FSU) who led his team to a victory scoring 21 points and 6 assists. Bosnian swingman Dzanan Musa (205-1999) helped adding 18 points and 6 assists. Five Dubai players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Canadian-Serbian guard Stefan Miljenovic (190-2001, college: Slippery Rock) with 18 points and 5 rebounds and American guard Jared Butler (191-1999, college: Baylor) scored 17 points (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Dubai will meet Buducnost in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Crvena zvezda will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Dubai: B.Dwayne 21+3reb+6ast, M.Dzanan 18+3reb+6ast, K.Mfiondu 15+4reb+4ast, K.Kosta 14+1reb+1ast, P.Filip 13+6reb+1ast, B.Davis 11+2reb+1ast
Crvena zvezda: S.Miljenovic 18+5reb+3ast, J.Butler 17+2reb+3ast, J.Nwora 13+2reb+1ast, C.Moneke 9+1reb, T.Carter 7+1reb+2ast, S.Ojeleye 7+2reb

Partizan - Cedevita Ol. 86-70

There was a small surprise in Beograd where Serbian Partizan (18-1) won against Slovenian Cedevita Ol. (12-6) 86-70 on Sunday. Partizan looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for Angolan center Bruno Fernando (207-1998, college: Maryland) who led his team to a victory scoring 19 points and 7 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Forward Aleksej Pokusevski (213-2001, agency: Octagon Europe) helped adding 18 points (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Five Partizan players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American Matt Hurt (206-2000, college: Duke) with 13 points and 5 rebounds and swingman Jaka Blazic (196-1990) scored 10 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. Partizan will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cedevita Ol. will play against Igokea in Aleksandrovac and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Partizan: F.Bruno 19+7reb, P.Aleksej 18+3reb+2ast, J.Carlik 14+1reb+4ast, J.Tonye 11+6reb+1ast, M.Shake 10+3reb+4ast, B.Sterling 6+3reb+3ast
Cedevita Ol.: M.Hurt 13+5reb, A.Nikolic 11+2reb+2ast, J.Blazic 10+5reb+1ast, U.Gibson 6+1reb+4ast, T.Kennedy 5+4reb, D.Stewart Jr. 5+4reb+1ast