By Euroleague

 

For the third year in a row, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade has earned a chance to compete for the title of European champion after it again won the Nike International Junior Tournament in Belgrade by downing local rival Mega Vizura by 88-56 in Sunday's title game. Dusan Ristic ('95) led the winners with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

 

Nikola Rebic added 17 points while Marko Tejic and Marko Guduric scored 15 each. Nikola Jokic had 18 points for Mega Vizura. Ristic, who led the tournament in scoring (18.6 ppg.) and rebounding (9.4 rpg), was named MVP. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Rebic, his teammate, Jokic of Mega Vizura, Vasilije Pusica of Partizan m:ts Belgrade and Damien Inglis from INSEP.

 

Zvezda finished the tournament 5-0 with average winning margins of 36.4 points per game. It becomes the fifth of eight teams ticketed for the NIJT finals in London from May 9 to 13, running parallel to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four. Three teams previously made it to London through qualifying tournaments: Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania, winner of the Siauliai Nike International Junior Tournament; KK Spars Sarajevo of Bosnia-Herzegovina, winner of the Torneo Citta di Roma; and FIATC Joventut Badalona of Spain, winner of the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tourney.

 

In addition, Team England's U18 national team has been awarded a wild card to participate in the NIJT finals. The remaining three places in the eight-team field will be filled by Euroleague Basketball. Crvena Zvezda Telekom won its third consecutive Nike International Junior Tournament Belgrade by downing local rival Mega Vizura 88-56 and will now compete to become European champion May 9 to 12 in London!