2001-02Regular SeasonRound 14
February 14, 2002 CET: 00:00
Local time: 00:00 JP CENTAR MORACA
The Group C game in Podgorica between Buducnost and Zadar wasn't an easy one to play as the only consolation for the winner would be to avoid ending the regular season in the last place of the group. It was Buducnost the one who had this minor reward by beating Zadar 110-97. The crowd also understood it that way, and a mere few hundreds of spectators showed up to watch the show, and the end of the Euroleague adventure for both teams. With the win, Buducnost managed to improve its record to 3-11, while Zadar dropped to 2-12 and ended in the last place of the group. The winners were led by Igor Rakocevic with 26 points, Vladimir Kuzmanovic added 21 and Blagota Sekulic contributed 15, while the losers were kept in the game thanks to the 24 points by Ivan Grgat and the 17 by Marko Popovic.

The game began balanced, as Zadar resisted all the efforts made by Buducnost, who was only leading by 4 way into the first quarter, 17-13. The guests had their best weapon on Grgat, who himself alone had scored 11 of the 22 points of his team when the score was 21-22 and Zadar jumped in the lead. But this advantege for the Croatians wouldn't last as the first period came to en end with the hosts in the lead again, 28-26.

The second quarter was easier than the first for Buducnost as it outscored Zadar by 33-19 in fron of an almost empty arena, which mirrored the lack of passion shown by both teams due to the lack of aims beyond the win after the 40 minutes. The score went from 52-45 to the final 62-45 after a 10-0 run by the hosts, led by Rakocevic who had already bagged 13 points by then. The teams hit the locker rooms with Buducnost 17 points ahead, 62-45.

The third quarter followed the pace of the second, as Buducnost was an unstoppable hurricane, scoring from all positions, and Zadar watched everything without showing signs of reaction. Five minutes into the quarter, the hosts were already leading by 80-58, and the turnover figures said a lot: Buducnost 2, Zadar 9. When the score was 80-60, Buducnost hit a 13-0 run that finally broke the game open with 93-60. The game got to minute 30 with a 95-63 score and a team, Buducnost, that looked to be on its way to beat the scoring record in one Euroleague game.

But that seemed impossible, for when the final period started, the hosts were already out of the game and Zadar improved its offense again thanks to Grgat, even though the gap was too large to be neutralized in 10 minutes. Buducnost kept adding turnovers to its numbers (and ended the game with 13), while the guests climbed little by little until the buzzer announced the end of the game with a 110-97 score. Zadar had hit a 15-34 partial score when it seemed that Buducnost would at least try to amuse the few fans that had gathered at the SC Moraca arena.
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Milivoje Kovacevic, Podgorica
No results found.
Referees: OGET, MEMDUT; LAINIOTIS, SOTIRIOS; PILOIDIS, ANASTASIOS
Attendance: 1500
By Quarter1234
Buducnost28343315
Zadar26191834
End of Quarter1234
Buducnost286295110
Zadar26456397
Buducnost
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 BAKIC, BOJAN 22:00 6 0/1   6/6 1 1 2 2 1 1     3 3 9
5 OKUNSKYY, ALEKSANDAR 13:00 8 4/5       1 1   1 2     5   2
7 RADONJIC, DEJAN 14:00 10 1/1 2/2 2/4   2 2 1   1     1 3 12
8 RAKOCEVIC, IGOR 31:00 26 5/10 3/4 7/9       2 2 4     1 7 24
9 SEKULIC, BLAGOTA 20:00 15 7/7   1/1 2 2 4   2 1     4 2 18
10 VUKCEVIC, DRAGAN 22:00 9 2/4 1/3 2/2   1 1       1   1 1 7
12 KUZMANOVIC, VLADIMIR 26:00 21 5/9 3/4 2/2   3 3 3 1 2     2 3 22
13 MILOJEVIC, DEJAN 10:00 6 3/4       1 1   2       2   6
14 CERANIC, DRAGAN 21:00 4 1/2   2/2   5 5         1 5 3 5
16 CAKIC, GORAN 16:00 5 1/2   3/4 1 3 4     1   1 4 2 3
17 PAVLOVIC, SASHA 5:00   0/1 0/1             1     1 1 -3
Team                                
Totals 200:00 110 29/46 9/14 25/30 4 19 23 8 9 13 1 2 29 25 105
        63% 64.3% 83.3%
Head coach: RUSSO, DARKO
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Zadar
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
6 POPOVIC, MARKO 30:00 17 3/6 2/5 5/8   2 2 7   4     4 8 17
7 SKALABRIN, IVICA 10:00 2   0/1 2/2           1     3 1 -2
8 PERINCIC, HRVOJE 38:00 15 4/7 2/4 1/2   5 5 1 1 1     2 1 14
9 BOCEVSKI, DUSAN 9:00 5 2/2   1/2                 1 1 4
10 SPRALJA, SIME 4:00 2     2/2 1   1           3 1 1
11 RUZIC, JURICA 36:00 8 3/8 0/2 2/2   3 3         1 4 3 2
12 DIJAN, TONI 19:00 10 4/4   2/2   1 1   1 1     2 2 11
13 RUZIC, TOMISLAV 13:00 8 2/3 1/1 1/2 1   1     1     2 1 5
14 ODUOK, INYANG IME 7:00 6 1/2   4/6 1 1 2     1       3 7
15 GRGAT, IVAN 34:00 24 6/10 1/1 9/11   1 1       2   4 8 25
Team                                
Totals 200:00 97 25/42 6/14 29/39 3 13 16 8 2 9 2 1 25 29 84
        59.5% 42.9% 74.4%
Head coach: VLASIC, HRVOJE
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

RUSSO, DARKO
Buducnost
"The game had a very big importance for us. I would say that the match results had significance too, because it is not the same being seventh or eighth at the end of the season in the Euroleague. Of course it is better to be in a higher position. This persuasive win also was important before our Sunday night match against Partizan in Podgorica. I have to be exceptionally satisfied with the first 30 minutes, just as our game in the last period was unacceptable and open for every critique. My players didn¿t have the strong will to answer the more aggressive game of Zadar. They didn't have the desire to beat the guest by 40 points or more. All of them who played in last period deserve only critiques. The victory was important to us and I have to congratulate them on it, but I am bothered with their game in last 10 minutes what is not worth any comment."
VLASIC, HRVOJE
Zadar
"It was a fully deserved victory of Buducnost. We had very bad moments at the end of second and at the start of third quarter and it determined the whole game. We had no answer for the aggressive game of the domestic team. Our young playmakers have a lot of problems with the teams which have more experienced players in their positions. We still are paying for the transfer of Davor Marcelic. It is very hard to control the game when your rival is 30 points ahead. But we succeeded in making a comeback in a last period and to mitigate defeat. Buducnost played its best game this season and deserve all congratulations for tonight's game."

Players

SEKULIC, BLAGOTA
Buducnost
"This victory is very important for us especially because of the difference at the end. It is very good for the atmosphere in the team after several consecutive defeats. I think that it is also significant that we finish in seventh place and it is not all the same whether we are last or one place above. I hope that this win could be a prediction of us playing better next season in the Euroleague because we didn't play up to expectations this season."
GRGAT, IVAN
Zadar
"It seems that we entered in the game almost without preparation. We kept in touch only for first 10 minutes and it was not enough for a whole game of 40 minutes. Buducnost took advantage of all our shortcomings. The key player was Igor Rakocevic. He came out playing excellent as well as created open situations for his players from perimeter that they didn't waste."
No results found.