ADRIATIC LEAGUE – Future still bright for KK Zagreb despite Tomic departure

LJUBLJANA (Adriatic League) - Eighteen rounds into the Adriatic League and there is all to play with KK Zagreb and Hemofarm among the big winners over the weekend.

Zagreb prevailed 85-82 at Union Olimpija on Saturday.

Both teams are getting used to life without their leading players.

Promising Croatia center Ante Tomic, who could earn a spot in the national team for the FIBA World Championship in Turkey, last week left Zagreb for Real Madrid while Slovenia national team point guard Sani Becirovic departed Ljubljana outfit Union Olimpija for Armani Jeans Milano.

Krunoslav Simon and Damir Mulaomerovic had 22 and 17 points, respectively, to lead Zagreb with Andrej Stimac also poured in 15.

The contest had a thrilling finish after Slovenia national team center Uros Slokar buried a three-pointer to cut Zagreb's lead to 83-82.

Jure Zdovc's team fouled Stimac, who calmly sank two free-throws for an 85-82 Zagreb advantage.

After a Union Olimpija timeout, the home team got the ball to Slokar and the former Toronto Raptor missed from long range.

Matt Walsh battled and won the offensive rebound and stepped outside the three-point line but missed and Simon rebounded for Zagreb before the final buzzer.

Denis Bajramovic, the Zagreb coach, said: "I think we deserved to win after leading for almost the whole game. We had some bad moments but we successfully overcame them.

"Winning is more important as we have done so after losing Ante Tomic. This confirms that we know what we have to do to win games."

Zagreb took sole possession of third place at 12-6 while Union Olimpija now share fourth with Buducnost at 11-7.

Hemofarm also won on the road.

They were led by Slovenia national team forward Goran Jagodnik, who buried three of five shots from long range on way to a game-high 15 points in a 57-55 victory at Cibona.

Jagodnik's biggest shot came in the waning seconds, when he caught a pass from teammate Miljan Pavkovic and hit a go-ahead lay-up.

Hit by Vedran Vukusic on the shot, he went to the line and missed the free-throw.

Cibona's Croatia national team sharpshooter Marko Tomas grabbed the rebound and put up a desperation attempt from three-point range but missed as sixth-place Hemofarm (11-6) held on.

Cibona are still in first place with 14 wins and just four defeats.

Other Adriatic results: FMP 81 Helios 65, Partizan Belgrade 86 Zadar 74, Siroki 90 Bosna 62, Cedevita 83 Buducnost 71 and Radnicki 55 Red Star Belgrade 68.

FIBA