Cluj-Napoca extend streak while Buducnost roll past Mega
Cluj-Napoca edge Studentski Centar to make it four straight
Cluj-Napoca kept their momentum going with a 96:85 victory over Studentski Centar, improving to 8-3 in the ABA League. The visiting backcourt duo of Iverson Molinar and Daron “Fatts” Russell lit up the perimeter early, stretching the defense and creating easier looks inside for teammates.
Mitchell Creek stayed hot from long range and Cluj-Napoca led 44-41 at halftime. In the third quarter Karel Guzman and Dusan Miletic carried much of the offense, while Nikola Pavlicevic was Studentski Centar’s primary outside threat. The hosts made several runs to chip away at what became a double-digit lead, but Guzman and Russell finished strong to seal the win.
Top performers were Iverson Molinar with 24 points and Daron Russell with 23. Aleksa Ilic led Studentski Centar with 16 points and Nikola Pavlicevic added 14. Cluj-Napoca now turn their attention to a EuroCup meeting at home against Slask Wroclaw on December 30, while Studentski Centar travel to face Krka on January 3.
Buducnost control game in Podgorica, beating Mega 100:82
Buducnost put together a commanding home display to defeat young Mega 100:82. The hosts set the tone early, closing the first quarter up 31-19 and carrying a comfortable lead into the break.
Rasheed Sulaimon gave Buducnost an important scoring boost early, finishing with 19 points, while Axel Bouteille led all scorers with 20 and took over in the second half with aggressive attacking plays. Mega grabbed more boards overall but struggled from distance, going 7-of-25 from three-point range — a cold outside shooting night that kept them chasing the result.
Mega’s promising youngsters Savo Drezgic and Bogoljub Markovic each finished with 14 points. The win moved Buducnost to 9-2 in the standings; Mega dropped to 3-8. Buducnost have a bye in the next ABA League round, and Mega will host Vienna early in the new year.
