The SC Derby basketball team is enjoying a three-game winning streak in the AdmiralBet ABA League. Following victories over Mornar and Split, the “students” triumphed over Igokea with a score of 25:111 in Podgorica yesterday during the 109th round.

This marks the second consecutive game where the young Podgorica squad has surpassed the 100-point mark, achieving their 10th victory of the season. Having secured their survival some time ago, SC Derbi now finds itself just two wins behind Zadar, Mega, FMP, and Spartak, who are all vying for playoff spots. With five rounds remaining, the schedule looks challenging for Petar Mijović’s team, as they are set to face Buducnost Voli, Crvena zvezda, Cedevita-Olimpija, Mega, and Borac from Čačak.

“As we anticipated, Igokea proved to be a highly competitive team, as reflected in their results throughout the season. They have managed to recover from significant deficits on the road, and we recognized that if we didn’t maintain our intensity throughout the entire 40 minutes, the moments we let our guard down would lead to trouble. I believe we played excellent basketball for 31-32 minutes, characterized by good ball movement, patiently constructed plays, and a high scoring percentage, which was commendable,” commented SC Derbi’s coach Petar Mijović after the match.

He also singled out visiting player Bryce Jones for his performance.

“In the second half, their greatest strength was Bryce Jones, whose individual talent allowed him to create defensive mismatches and contribute positively for both himself and the team. They shot exceptionally well during that period,” Mijović added.

Mijović expressed that he believed his team could have sealed the win in regular time.

“I think this victory reflects our character. We had the chance to finish it in regulation time—a couple of technical fouls, an offensive rebound, a series of events that could have changed the outcome. However, in overtime, we played as if it was the start of the game, hitting numerous shots, both constructed and opportunistic. An outstanding effort from Zoki Nikolić under the basket allowed us to capitalize on situations where we previously failed to score, converting offensive rebounds into new attacking opportunities. I believe we confirmed our good form against a strong opponent and won deservedly,” concluded Mijović.

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