BiH falls in dramatic finish: Serbia wins 74:72 in Skenderija

(Patria) - The basketball national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina was defeated in the second round of World Cup qualifiers by Serbia with a score of 72:74, in a match that will be talked about for a long time due to dramatic turns, a great atmosphere, and more than questionable refereeing decisions.

BiH had a great start to the match – already in the fifth minute, Vrabac gave the Dragons the lead, and a few minutes later, a spectacular dunk got Skenderija on its feet. The Dragons finished the first quarter with a 15:13 advantage.

In the second quarter, with a run by Sulejmanović, Simanić, Ilić, and Castaneda, BiH went up by 9 points, but Serbia, thanks to free throws and referee errors, reduced the deficit to 39:35 by halftime. The fans were truly the sixth player for the home team in the first half.

The third quarter brought a lot of fighting, and BiH, despite five missed free throws, managed to maintain the lead and entered the last quarter with a score of 58:51.

The beginning of the fourth quarter was marked by a controversial personal foul on Atić, after which the BiH national team player received an unsportsmanlike technical foul, even though he was sitting on the bench. The referees thus brought Serbia back into the game.



A series of mistakes followed on both sides. Dobrić missed two free throws, Vrabac gave the ball away to Jaramaz for 61:58, and Serbia soon caught up completely and took the lead 62:64 after Tanasković's free throws.

Penava, with a spectacular block, brought energy back to the team, Sulejmanović scored for 64:65, and then Vrabac gave them a new lead with a low post move – 66:65.

However, Momirov's three-pointer put Serbia back in the lead, and Castaneda from the free-throw line reduced it to 67:68. Momirov scored again from the corner for 67:71, and although BiH had chances in the final minutes, they lacked concentration.

Castaneda, 26 seconds before the end, made two out of three free throws, and then seven seconds before the end, hit a three-pointer for 72:73. Another controversial decision followed – an unsportsmanlike foul was called on Vrabac, but Anđušić missed the free throw.

BiH then had the last possession for the win. Alibegović went for difficult two-point shot but missed, allowing Serbia to secure a narrow victory 72:74.

Incidentally, the most fervent fans of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BHFanaticosi, used the match against Serbia to send a message from Skenderija to the president of that country, Aleksandar Vučić.

During the second quarter, BHFanaticosi chanted insults at Vučić and unfurled a banner with a message related to his presence on the hills around Sarajevo during the war and his "Sarajevo safari."



"Yesterday an umbrella, today a tripod. Killers try to hide their motive. Evil never sleeps," the BHF stated.