SRB - Serbian League round-up

Novi Sad win dampened by serious crash on way home

KRAGUJEVAC (Kosarkaska Liga Srbije) - Novi Sad beat Napredak 77-72 to climb up to fifth place in the standings, but the result was overshadowed by a serious road accident as they made their way home on the Belgrade-Nis highway.

Nemanja Danilovic and 20-year-old player Nenad Grozdanic were both in critical condition after the team's minibus was involved in a crash with a truck near Lapovo.

Several other players sustained minor injuries.

Novi Sad started the game slowly and trailed 43-35 at the break. The visitors missed all eight of their three-point attempts in the first half and, despite Branislav Jancikin finding his range in the third period, they were behind 60-53 entering the final frame.

However, the visitors tightened their defense and held the hosts to just one basket in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.

The momentum swung in Novi Sad's favour and they made the most of it, outscoring Napredak 24-12 in the period.

Maksim Kovacevic finished with a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds for Novi Sad with Miljan Rakic adding 13 and Goran Pobric grabbed 11 rebounds.

Pejovic Slobodan had an impressive display for Napredak with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Meanwhile, Tamis Petrohemija edged out Proleter Naftagas 82-81 in Zrenjanin to keep a hold of second place ahead of OKK Beogard.

The result means Tamis only need one win from the remaining two rounds to qualify for the Super League.

The visitors got off to a fast start and had a 43-32 lead at halftime. But Proleter changed their strategy to start the third quarter, switching to a zone defense, a move that paid great dividends as they were within 55-52 by the end of the period and blasted their way to a 69-60 in the final frame.

However, Radovan Markovic and Branko Jereminov spearheaded a late three-point shooting display that saw Tamis triumph by the slimmest of margins.

Markovic finished with 18 points, including five long bombs, and handed out six assists as well. Bojan Stajic also had 18.

Filip Vukosavljevic was the high-man for Proleter with 17 points.

Elsewhere, table-toppers Borac won away to Radnicki Basket 78-62 thanks to some accurate long-range shooting. The visitors hit 12 of 27 attempts from beyond the arc.

Branko Jorovic finished with a game-high 28 points and connected on an impressive nine of his 15 tries from three-point territory.

Borac's dead-eye shooting from long range has been their biggest weapon this season. Despite being aware of it, their opponents have failed to take it away from them.



FIBA