Dramatic victory for Kumanovo over SCM U Craiova

KK Kumanovo 2009 started the Second Stage in EUROHOLD Balkan League with dramatic victory. The team hosted SCM U Craiova in a group C match and won 81-79 after a tough battle. Both teams played a hard game and were fighting to win until the very end. However in the decisive moments the hosts did a little bit better and managed to win. All this puts Kumanovo, Craiova and Mornar with 1 win and 2 losses in the standings while Peja is leading the group with 3-0 record. Next week Kumanovo will visit Mornar while Craiova will go to Peja.

The hosts started a little bit better and led by 10 points after six minutes. They kept their good advantage until the end of the first quarter but in the second Craiova came back in the match. Until the middle of it Kumanovo was still up and the difference was 10 points. The visitors though made 11-0 run to take the lead but at the buzzer Marjan Mladenovic scored a triple for the home team to put them up by 2 at the break.

For all of the second half the game was very close with the lead not going over 5 points. Kumanovo was up most of the time but also Craiova took the lead - they had 3-point advantage shortly after the start of the last quarter. However 5 straight points for Kumanovo with the score tied gave them a lead but the visitors responded with a triple. Later they also tied the game but the home team once again went up. With less then a minute to play the difference was only a point but then Mandic scored three-pointer for the hosts. It was the most important basket as the visiting team could score only 2 points the rest of the way.

Aleksandar Kostoski had a double double for the winners with 19 points and 11 assists while Branislav Djekic had another good game finishing with 16 points.

For the visitors Milivoje Bozovic finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds as Djordje Micic added 17 points.

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FULL STATS FROM THE GAME KK KUMANOVO 2009 - SCM U CRAIOVA