A series of just four days turned a seemingly flawless season alarming – following their exit from the Eurocup, Buducnost Voli basketball team also saw their impressive 12-game winning streak end in the AdmiralBet ABA League.

In the 22nd round of the regional tournament, Andrej Žakelj’s team faced defeat against Mega (93:79) during a noon game at the “Ranko Žeravica” hall—an unusual start time for most teams, yet a signature of the hosts.

Factors such as the early tip-off, the aftermath of the loss to Turk Telekom, the absence of players like Jogi Ferel and Andrija Slavković, or other influences have compounded the challenges for the “blue and white” in maintaining their top position ahead of the playoff round, which they shared with Partizan until now.

The encounter in Novi Beograd can be summarized as Mega executing their game plan flawlessly, hitting 13 three-pointers, while Buducnost struggled with their shooting, defense, and characteristic aggression. Each time they narrowed the gap, Marko Barac’s team responded with another swift blow from beyond the arc.

As seen in Ankara just a few days prior, Buducnost entered the match poorly prepared—both Turk Telekom and Mega capitalized on this, leading to a substantial advantage of 23:12 after the first quarter and 46:37 at halftime.

From the outset, the home team demonstrated their prowess from the three-point line, leading Žakelj to experiment with young Petar Minić at point guard, yet the “blue and white” failed to rally even after Đorđi Jovanović delivered a highlight dunk.

The trend continued into the second quarter, where Buducnost faced relentless pressure from Bogoljub Marković and Mihailo Petrović. After a three-pointer from Andrija Jelavic, Mega surged ahead by 13 points (39:26).

Žakelj then called for a timeout but chose silence, allowing the players to confront one another. This moment led to a brief resurgence as Buducnost scored six unanswered points to reduce the deficit to (40:33). However, they remained vulnerable to outside shooting, and Mega went into the second half with a nine-point edge.

The same patterns persisted in the third quarter—Mega had initially trailed by three points (16-9 at that moment), while Buducnost’s drought continued (10-1). Rashid Sulajmon struggled to find his footing, as by mid-third quarter, Mega held a solid 61:46 lead.

Nothing shifted until the final buzzer—Mega maintained a comfortable 68:52 advantage, with Fletcher Megi (alongside Nikola Tanasković) being the lone bright spot, making all of Buducnost’s four three-pointers. Mega’s control was evident, ultimately achieving a well-deserved victory.

Buducnost had previously claimed victories in Belgrade against the Euroleaguers Partizan and Red Star Belgrade, but dropped points unexpectedly against Mega—a team they had bested for the last eight meetings. Nonetheless, everything remains within reach for Andrej Žakelj’s squad, who must rediscover their form ahead of their vital match against the “black and whites” in April.

MEGA – BUDUCNOST 93:79 (23:12, 23:25, 24:22, 23:20)

WHITE CITY – Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall. Spectators: 400. Referees: Ilija Belošević (Serbia), Igor Dragojević (Montenegro), Denis Hadžić (BiH).

Mega: Milenković, MILJENOVIĆ 8, Jelavic 3 (4-3), Vukčević, MARKOVIĆ 27 (6-4), Kroflič 13 (4-3), MILIJAŠEVIĆ 5, Milutinović, Srzentić, JOVIĆ 2, Petrović 19 (2-0), MALOVEC 9.

Buducnost: Morgan 2, SULAJMON 13 (13-11), Ilic 4, Megi 14, Minic, TANASKOVIC 17 (7-7), JOVANOVIC 4 (3-2), Drežnjak 3 (2-1), Omic 2, WRIGHT 12 (4-2), Azubuike, KAMENJAŠ 8.

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