Alexander Sotirov
Ulcinj achieved their first win in the 2011/2012 EUROHOLD Balkan League. After losing to the defending champion KK Feni in the first round, today the Montenegrin side defeated HKK Zrinjski Mostar away from home in a dramatic game which finished with a final score of 60:62.

Ulcinj got off to a great start, as Marko Kuveljic made a long range jumper to give them a 0:3 lead. Zrinjski responded with 5 unanswered points – a shot by Marcel Jones and an and-one play by Luka Klarica for 5:3. The home side led the game in the following minutes, and Aleksandar Radulovic scored for 11:9 with 4:26 to go. However that was Zrinjski′s last lead in the first period, as Ulcinj went on a 9-4 run to win the first quarter 15:17.

In the opening minutes of the second period Zrinjski tied the score twice – at 17:17 and at 19:19, before they made a 6-0 run which would put them ahead 25:19 with 6 minutes left. It was Ulcinj who scored the next 8 points in the game, getting back their lead – 25:27, but Avdibegovic tied things at 31:31 with 51 seconds left in the half. At halftime Zrinjski led by two points – 33:31.

In the third quarter it was Zrinjski who was pressing more, and they remained with the lead during the whole period. After 30 minutes of play the home side led the game by 6 points – 49:43.

Ulcinj started the fourth period really strong, scoring the first 7 points in just 1.27, and getting the lead – 49:50 with 8.33 remaining in the third period. However the spectators in Bijeli Breg Hall in Mostar were up for a low scoring third period, in which the two teams would score a total of 30 points. After the strong start by Ulcinj, neither team could do well and the game was tied at 52:52 with 3.24 remaining. The Montenegrin team led the game 58:59 after Veljko Lalovic scored with 35 seconds left on the clock. Marko Milatovic made two free-throws to extend Ulcinj′s lead to 58:61, before Armin Avdibegovic scored two times from the charity stripe for 60:61, 5.9 seconds befoe the end. Boban Medenica extended Ulcinj′s lead to 60:62, and in the last offense Zrinjski weren′t able to score and Ulcinj took home the win.
Marko Kuveljic led Ulcinj in scoring with 15 points. Milos Djurisic added 12, while Veljko Lalovic had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Armin Avdibegovic scored 16 points for Zrinjski, Aleksandar Radulovic added 12 and Marcel Jones finished with 10.

Ulcinj outrebounded their opponents by 14 boards – 39 to 25.

This was Ulcinj′s first win in the competition this season, which made their balance 1-1, while HKK Zrinjski suffered their second straight loss dropping down to 0-2.

In their next game Ulcinj are hosting BC Levski on the 9th of November, while Zrinjski are visiting Napredak a week later –

 

Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL)