Sasha Vezenkov's 26-point effort not enough to take down Montenegro / News - Basketnews.com

A strong push at the end of the fourth quarter propelled Montenegro past Sasha Vezenkov and Bulgaria.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Sasha Vezenkov went off for 26 points, 17 of which were in the first half, but it was not enough to overcome Montenegro which captured its second win with a 91-81 (21-21, 24-25, 22-12, 23-24) victory in Group A.

Player of the Game EFF 18 Bojan Dubljevic Points 17 Accuracy 7-10 Rebounds 9 Assists 1

After Pavlin Ivanov's fast-break dunk with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the teams were separated by only three (80-83). However, Montenegro then went on a decisive run to finish the game.

Kendrick Perry's layup, Bojan Dubljevic's effort in the paint, Igor Drobnjak's clutch free throws, and disciplined defensive effort overall marked the game-deciding 8-1 run, and Bulgaria had to suffer a defeat for the third time in a row.

Sasha Vezenkov was once again a one-man band on the Bulgarian roster. The Olympiacos Piraeus forward scored 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while also grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists for a game-leading 32 PIR but ultimately it was not enough.

Vladimir Mihailovic was the top-scorer in the Montenegrin national team with 23 points but inefficient 9-for-21 shooting. He made 2 three-pointers out of 8 but compensated for the lack of shooting efficiency with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Bojan Dubljevic and Igor Drobnjak added 17 points each.

Bulgaria now sits at the bottom of Group A with three losses in three games. However, with Belgium being the underdogs in the fight against Spain, only one win could still separate Bulgaria from the top 4 in the group.

On the other side, Montenegro has notched its second win in three tries, solidifying its place among the best teams in the group.

Bulgaria: Sasha Vezenkov 26 (5/7 2PT, 5/8 3PT, 8 REB), Andrey Ivanov 17 (7/8 2PT), Chavdar Kostov 10 (2/6 3PT).

Montenegro: Vladimir Mihailovic 23 (7/13 2PT, 2/8 3PT, 3/4 FT, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL), Bojan Dubljevic 17 (6/8 2PT, 9 REB), Igor Drobnjak 17 (4/5 2PT, 2/4 3PT), Nemanja Radovic 16 (6/11 2PT, 7 REB), Kendrick Perry 12 (3/5 2PT, 2/6 3PT, 5 AST).

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