Mornar Falls to Zadar, Concludes Season in Last Place and Awaits ABA League’s Decision
Buljević during today’s match in Zadar, Photo: Zadar/Zvonko Kucelin
With two rounds remaining in the AdmiralBet ABA League, it’s clear that the Mornar basketball team will end the season at the bottom of the standings.
Today, Barani faced a significant defeat against Zadar (28:100) in the 69th round, leaving them with only hopes of avoiding relegation this season in the ABA League. Recent assembly discussions suggested that the league would expand, potentially allowing up to 20 clubs next season. The league’s official statement following the meeting did not mention relegation, with more clarity expected after the Working Group’s upcoming meeting about the competition system.
Mornar has been a participant in the ABA League since 2016 and had a notable third-place finish five years later, reaching the semifinals in 2018 and 2021.
Last season, Barani finished in second-to-last place but managed to escape relegation, as it was decided that the league would expand from 14 to 16 clubs, therefore eliminating the threat of relegation.
This season, Mihailo Pavićević’s squad has achieved only two victories, both at home against Cibona and Krk. Despite Cibona having additional wins, their head-to-head record surpasses Baran’s, confirming that the Montenegrin team will conclude the season last in the standings after 30 rounds.
In today’s match, Zadar took an early lead, and a significant momentum shift occurred in the third quarter with a 12:0 run, establishing a 65:45 advantage. By the end, Zadar enjoyed a maximum lead of 31 points.
The standout player for Zadar was Mazalin, scoring 20 points. Montenegrin national team member Vladimir Mihailović contributed nine points.
For Mornar, Runjić scored 15 points, Tomason added 14, Radetić contributed 11, and Pember scored 10.
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