Following three successive defeats, the Serbian side got back on track in Round 17
Zvezda shows steel to secure slim win and snap streak against Virtus
Отчеты о матчах
3 Минутное чтение
Regular Season
Round 17 of 38
Regular Season
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet BelgradeCZV
9089
Virtus BolognaVIR
Overview
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“We showed character in a very difficult situation, with many chemistry problems,” said Sara Obradovic after arguably Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's most important win since he joined back in October.
Breaking a frustrating losing streak, his team narrowly defeated Virtus Bologna on Friday night in an incredibly tense and entertaining matchup at Belgrade Arena. After 19 total lead changes, the Serbian team were able to snatch the 90-89 victory in the final seconds.
Having lost its last three games, Zvezda needed a reaction and they found it, despite some stiff resistance from their Italian opponents. Obradovic expected nothing less than a fight from Dusko Ivanovic’s men, but expressed his relief to have secured the crucial W.
“We all knew how hard Bologna is and that we didn’t have good momentum after the last few games, so to break the losing streak was essential for us,” Obradovic stated.
The teams went back and forth for the majority of the opening period, until Zvezda pulled away to open up a notable advantage. Virtus then increased the effort and tied the ball game, before stealing a lead just before halftime. A shooting barrage then pushed the visitors further ahead, but Zvezda pushed back to tie the contest.
Virtus consistently edged ahead for most of the fourth quarter, led by its star guard duo of Carsen Edwards and Luca Vildoza, but both teams made major shots in the closing minute to exchange leads. Ultimately, the final blow was landed when Jared Butler found himself open for a scrappy layup as Obradovic’s men earned the slim victory.
Codi Miller-McIntyre was in inspired form for the hosts, adding 10 assists and 4 boards to his 21-point scoring performance, hitting 9 of his 14 shot attempts. Jordan Nwora recorded 20 points and 3 rebounds. Chima Moneke and Semi Ojeleye also reached double figures in scoring on their way to victory.
As fans have come to expect, Edwards was a standout for Virtus, leading the way with 29 points and hitting clutch shots to keep his team in the game. However, his flame-throwing antics weren’t enough to get the job done. A key statistic for Virtus to reflect on will be turnovers. The Italian side committed 17 to Zvezda's 10,** doing a disservice to the major, gutsy plays they were able to make throughout.
Coach Ivanovic shared his thoughts after the game, simply putting the loss down to one factor.
“In the second half, we needed better defense," he claimed.
The result moves Zvezda to 10-7 in its EuroLeague campaign. Ivanovic’s men slide to 8-9, but they will have a chance to bounce back against Paris Basketball next Tuesday. Virtus will face Olympiacos Piraeus on in a week's time.
