PRISHTINA (FIBA Europe Cup) – Having already booked a spot in the Second Round, Z Mobile Prishtina added another win to their tally in Group E with a 74-69 victory over the visiting Steaua Bucuresti at the Palace of Youth and Sports on Tuesday.

Dardan Berisha and Demario Mayfield came alive in the second half to pace the Kosovar side to a 4-1 mark with 16 and 15 points, respectively, keeping the guests from Romania winless at 0-5.

Turning Point: After a strong start, Prishtina allowed Steaua back in the game with a negative 12-0 run in the second stanza. But the comeback was short-lived, with the home side using an 11-2 dash of their own at the end of the third period to regain a dominant position at 57-48 with a quarter left to play.

Game Hero: The first half was one to forget for Dardan Berisha, who missed all four first-half field goal attempts and stayed scoreless in the first two quarters of play. But the Kosovar scoring ace kicked his game into a higher gear after the intermission to finish the contest with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals.

Stats Don't Lie: Although Steaua could not get on the board, the five-point margin of defeat was the smallest for the Romanian side in the FIBA Europe Cup this season; they had lost the four previous games by an average of 25.8 points.  

Bottom Line: There was not much this game could have changed, with Prishtina already through to the Second Round and Steaua on their way out after the Regular Season. However, the result does mean that the fate of the top spot in Group E will only be decided on the last gameday, when the Kosovar side host the undefeated Bakken Bears.

Z Mobile Prishtina 74:69 Steaua Bucuresti/ FIBA Europe Cup⛹🏻‍♂️@FIBAEuropeCup pic.twitter.com/U5iV0DIETE

— KBF Official (@FBKZyrtare) November 13, 2018

They Said: "First of all I want to say thank you to the fans that came to support and celebrate with us on this historical moment. It was a tough game and it’s never easy. Our opponents were very tough and they didn’t let us create a lead earlier, but we made it. I also want to say thanks to my teammates that believed in win until the end." – Z Mobile Prishtina forward Denis Krestinin

"I'm happy only with the result, not the game. In a way, this is normal because the team wasn’t motivated, they played relaxed and I expected such game. We played better in the second half than in the first. I also want to congratulate the team for everything that they have done until now. We have four wins and one loss. I'm proud of this team and next week we host the team that defeated us and we will try to defeat them." – Z Mobile Prishtina head coach Damir Mulaomerovic

"First of all I want to congratulate Prishtina on the qualification. They were better and they played really well in Europe. They did a good job in the FIBA Europe Cup. We had a solid game and I'm happy with the dedication of the players in the game. They gave their best on the court." – Steaua Bucuresti head coach  Sasa Ocokoljic

"We made a lot of mistakes that made us lose the game. We will continue to get better and work hard. Congratulation to Prishtina." – Steaua Bucuresti forward Ante Delas

FIBA