FMP and Red Star will play the big final of the Nike International Junior Tournament of Belgrade after both teams qualifyied for it beating INSEP and Partizan. Will be a great fight between Nenad Miljenovic ('93) and Aleksandar Cvetkovic ('93), the best two serbian prospects of this generation and important pieces of the national team. But without forgetting the last seconds of the game between FMP and INSEP. French were winning easy, serbians came back, and with 87-85 Hugo Invenizzi ('93) had the last shot, but didn't score. In a very tough call referees decided that time expired after the late basket in an offense rebound. Most of the people attending the game, including us, think the basket was good. Let's check what happened in all the games of day 2.
FMP 87 USK Future Stars 56: Third game and third win for serbians, earning the first final position of group A, and ready to play the semifinals at the afternoon. Led by Stefan Popovski-Turanjanin ('93) again FMP was winning by 16 points already at the half time. Forward collected a huge 35 ranking behind 22 points (8/12 FG), 9 rebounds and 3 steals in only 25 minutes. Beside him also shined Nenad Miljenovic ('93) with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in 22 minutes, while youngster Dusan Ristic ('95) added 8 points, 6 boards and 1 assist in 13'. Czechs struggled at 3 points line (1/16) and couldn't fight inside the paint either. No way. Forward Tomas Kyzlink ('93) scored 15 points pulling down 6 rebounds and Martin Kriz ('93) also 15 with 6/11 FG. With this defeat USK ends third of this group with a 1-2 record.
-Partizan 87 Alba 51: Another example of the difference between some teams, with the serbians crashing germans already at half-time (+20), and with five players in double-figures. Alba shocked with crazy shooting percentages (30% twos and 17% threes) and couldn't battle in the rebound (51 to 34). Partizan was too much. Youngster Nikola Radicevic ('94) ended as the best winners scorer with 15 points (2/3 threes) and 5 rebounds, while Nikola Vujovic ('93) added 12 with 9 rebounds and Aleksandar Djordjevic ('93) 12 and 5 boards. Forward Julius Wolf ('93) fought for Alba, with 14 points and 4 rebounds in 23', while youngster Kalidou Diouf ('94) scored 9 with 4 boards. Partizan made it to semifinals after ending second of this group.
-Olimpija Ljubljana 73 INSEP 94: With both squads playing for one spot in semifinals INSEP showed its potential, with William Howard ('93) as their best man with 20 points (3/4 threes), 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Beside him Ulysse Adjagba ('93) scored 16 dishing 3 assists and youngster Anthony Racine ('94) added 14 with 4/5 from downtown in only 15 minutes. Yannis Morin ('93) also made a good job with 12 points and 7 boards. The 41% (12/29) at three points line of french team, one of the keys of the win. Who shined for slovenians? Wasn't enough Luka Rupnik ('93) with 20 points (3/6 threes) and 6 assists, while Boris Bosnjak ('93) added 17 with 7/9 FG. Forward Dorde Micic ('93) scored 14 with 4 assists.
-Red Star 69 Beovuk 85: With Aleksandar Cvetkovic ('93) practicing with the senior team and his teammates knowing that they were already qualifyied for semifinals Beovuk add its first win in the tournament behind four players in double figures. 2.04 Stefan Milinkovic ('94) ended as the best winners scorer with 14 points (7/12 FG), while another youngster, Lazar Mladenovic ('94), nailed 13 points in 16 minutes. For Red Star Nikola Jovanovic ('94) posted 13 points with 4 rebounds, while Marko Curovic ('93) scored also 13, pulling down 6 boards. Beovuk made a good second half (+14) with a great percentage in twos (56%).
-USK 78 Beovuk 83: And only a few hours later, in the beginning of the fight for the 5th to 8th final positions, Beovuk won again after surprising USK Future Stars. It was a contest with great individual performances, and Marko Babic ('93) leading the win behind a 36 ranking: 32 points (8/19 twos and 16/20 ft), 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Beside him Nikola Socanac ('93) helped with 16 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. They were too much for czechs, even at USK forward Martin Kriz ('93) made the show of the day: 26 points, 13 rebounds and 40 ranking. With forward Tomas Kyzlink ('93) adding 20 points and 5 boards the contest was tied till last minutes, where the pecentage at free throws line became one of the keys.
-Olimpija Ljubljana 65 Alba Berlin 86: Another surprising result in the battle for the 5th to 8th positions, even at slovenian side Luka Rupnik ('93) didn't play. Germans made a great second half coming back from a 41-38 at half time led by five players in double-figures. Youngster Kenneth Ogbe ('94) posted 17 points dishing 7 assists, while Kalidou Diouf ('94) scored 16 with 7/7 FG and 6 boards. For Olimpija, tired after the morning effort against INSEP, forward Dorde Micic ('93) shined again with 19 points and 5/10 FG. Boris Bosnjak ('93) added 13 with 5/12 FG. Slovenians shocked with the good shooting percentages of germans (64% twos, 36% threes and 73% ft). 85 free throws were attempted.
-Red Star 86 Partizan 80: In this first semifinal Aleksandar Cvetkovic ('93) came back to drive his team to the big final. The guard, one of the best players of the tournament, scored 25 points (8/21 FG and 7/11 FT) and completed the contest with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. But he wasn't alone. Forward Ivan Saicic ('93) also made a good job with 21 points and 6 rebounds, while Marko Radonjic ('93) added 17 with 7/11 FG. For Partizan, who couldn't stop Cvetkovic's "tempo", Vukasin Vujovic ('93) -top10 in the MVP of serbian junior league- scored 19 points with 7/13 FG, while youngsters Nikola Majic ('94) and Nikola Radicevic ('94) added 17 points and 8 rebounds and 16 and 6 assists (even 2/10 from downtown). In a tied contest Cvetkovic appeared in the last minutes to make it to the final.
-FMP 87 INSEP 85: Many people we'll remember only the last seconds, with the referees calling that the final basket was with the time expired, but till then both teams showed great things. Serbians started last period with a 11 points deficit and Stefan Popovski-Turanjanin ('93) with fouls trouble, but Nenad Miljenovic ('93) found Nemanja Bezbradica ('93), feeding him during all the 40 minutes. The guard scored 23 points with 6 assists and 13/14 at free throws line, while the center finished with 27 (10/16 FG), 6 rebounds and 2 steals. With Popovski-Turanjanin with problems appeared Nikola Pavlovic ('93): 18 with 2/4 threes. At french side Livio Jean-Charles ('93), last year's MVP, nailed 23 points (10/13 FG) with 8 rebounds and shooter Hugo Invernizzi ('93) posted 20 with 4/12 threes and 9 assists, but wasn't enough. Youngster Anthony Racine ('94) had 10 points. Our sensations? Both teams showed their quality. When french squad was 15 points up -with Racine, Adjagba, Invernizzi and Jean-Charles taking responsabilities- FMP played with pacience and Miljenovic started to show his basket. Serbian defense started to increase, with Pavlovic running. And Bezbradica didn't waste Miljenovic assists. Watch some game clips here and here.
Standings:
-Group A: FMP (3-0), Partizan (2-1), USK (1-2) and Alba (0-3).
-Group B: Red Star (2-1), INSEP (2-1), Olimpija Ljubljana (1-2) and Beovuk (1-2).
We attached some clips of morning games.
Photo: Eurohopes (game FMP-INSEP)
