After a shocking defeat to Panionios in the Eurocup, the Buducnost Voli basketball team traveled to Zadar in the AdmiralBet ABA League. It was important for Buducnost to show a reaction in Croatia, to return to winning ways, and that's what happened - the "blues" routinely celebrated 87:66 tonight, in the 14th round of the regional competition.
Buducnost defeated the Croatian champion for the 11th time in a row, and their last defeat to Zadar came on away turf - in March 2022.
An important triumph for Andrej Žakelj's team ahead of next week, when they will first face Litkabelis in the Eurocup in Podgorica (Wednesday at 19 p.m.), and then play Cedevita-Olimpija away in the regional competition (Saturday at 20 p.m.).
From the beginning, Buducnost led, had a 15-point lead in the second quarter, and the victory was never in doubt, although Zadar tried to maintain the lead until the middle of the last quarter, when the "blues" made a 7:0 run and took an 80:62 lead.
Buducnost opened the game furiously, Yogi Ferrell hit two three-pointers, Rashid Sulajmon one and the "blues" took a 13:0 lead. Zadar scored the first points after three minutes, closing the gap to 13:9, but Buducnost pulled ahead again - 21:15.
The second quarter was dominated by Axel Butey. The French basketball player scored 12 points in a row in that period, including three three-pointers, and when Ferrell was accurate from outside the 6,75 line, the Montenegrin champion had a 15-point advantage - 36:21.
Zadar managed to get to a single-digit deficit, reducing it to 38:29 by halftime, and during the third quarter did not allow Buducnost to break away. When the "blues" went to a double-digit plus, Danijel Jusup's team came back, and at the beginning of the last quarter, after a point by Montenegrin basketball player Vladimir Mihailović, the score was 62:55.
Then Andrija Slavković scored four points in a row (66:55), Ferrell scored from the penalty spot for a new double-digit lead (68:57), and after the aforementioned 7:0 run, which was concluded with a dunk by Skylar Mays, everything was settled.
The most efficient player for Buducnost was Butej with 18 points. Ferrell had 16 and Nikola Tanaskovic 12 points.
For Zadar, Lovro Mazalin had 14, Marko Ramljak 12, and Vladimir Mihailović 10 points.
ZADAR - THE FUTURE LOVES 66:87 (16:21, 13:17, 25:24, 12:25)
Zadar - "Krešimir Ćosić" Hall. Spectators: 3.000. Judges: Milan Nedović (Slovenia), Sašo Petek (Slovenia) and Aleksandar Milojević (Serbia).
Zadar: MIHAILOVIĆ 10 (2-1), Gulan, Klarica 7 (2-1), TIŠMA 10 (4-3), ŽGANEC 8 (2-2), Mazalin 14 (5-4), Božiković, Dundović, Kapusta 5 (6-5), RAMLJAK 12, TKAČENKO, Torbarina.
Budućnost Voli: SULAJMON 5, Maggi 6, Mace 9 (2-2), Thompson 4, Slavković 6, TANASKOVIC 12, FEREL 16 (8-7), JOVANOVIĆ 5, BUTIJSEL 6 (2-1), Kovlijar, Butej 18 (2-1).
Bonus video:
