By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda defeated Partizan 87 – 62 thanks to a great fourth quarter push to lead the Serbian SuperLeague semifinals series 1-0.
The game started slow with strong defense on both ends of the floor, but after Vanja Marinkovic exited the game early for Partizan after a bad fall, things escalated quickly. Taylor Rochestie led Zvezda’s 15-0 run with nine personal points putting them ahead ten (20-10). Red Star kept a lead around that margin until the break (41-33).
Although Partizan held their own and kept close after the halftime rest, the hosts completely dominated the fourth quarter winning it 26-10 and securing the game to their favor.
Taylor Rochestie led the winning side with 22 points, most of them in crucial moments of the game. He also recorded team-high five assists and six rebounds. Alen Omic helped him with 15 in addition to Ognjen Dobric’s ten points. For the losing team, Kwame Vaughn scored 16 points.
The second game in this best-of-three series will be played on Wednesday 30th of May as Partizan tries to stay alive in front of their crowd.