The tournament hosts Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade is the second finalist of the Belgrade NIJT Qualifying Tournament, after 95-48 semifinal win over Cedevita Zagreb on Saturday night. Zvezda has four wins in as many matches and will play INSEP Paris in the title game on Sunday 15:00 CET. Cedevita will play against Mega Vizura Belgrade for the third place. The hosts started taking control late in the first quarter, before allowing only 8 points in the second period and building 46-25 halftime lead. Zvezda opened a 30-point margin after 4 minutes in the third quarter, and never letting foot off the gas, cruised to victory. Vojislav Stojanovic scored 23 points in victory, Marko Radovanovic had 17, Bratislav Jekovic netted 14, while Stefan Lazarevic collected 10 points plus 13 rebounds. For Cedevita, which was without Lovro Mazalin, top scorer was Ante Zizic with 14, while Emir Sabic had 7 points in defeat.
Cedevita showed toughness in the beginning, with Zizic inside and Sabic with drives to the basket making it 8-10. But Radovanovic answered by scoring 9 points, including a triple, and with a help from Stojanovic and a basket-plus-foul from Nikola Rakicevic the hosts held 26-17 after 10 minutes. Stojanovic hit a triple in the second quarter, but Karlo Miksic hit from downtown for Cedevita, cutting it to 33-23. Zvezda defense did not allow many open looks, however, while Stojanovic hit another three and added a layup to the tally during a 13-0 run that lifted the hosts to 46-25 halftime advantage. After the break, Jekovic, Radovanovic and Stojanovic quickly extended it to 59-29, before Aleksandar Arnitovic and Lazarevic joined in with layups. Radovanovic and Jekovic added more triples, for 75-33 after the third quarter. Sabic hit a rare triple for Cedevita at the start of the fourth, Luka Zitko added a layup, and Ivan Zebic a triple, but the hosts kept extending the lead through Nemanja Dorovic, Stefan Kenic, and couple more triples from Jekovic.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
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