Partizan too strong after all: Bosna says goodbye to this year's ABA League with a loss in Zetra

(Patria) - Basketball Club (KK) Bosna represented Bosnia and Herzegovina and its capital city honorably and with dignity in its comeback season in the ABA League, which ended tonight with a loss to Partizan in the quarterfinals of the regional competition.

Partizan basketball players advanced to the ABA League semi-finals after defeating Bosna 87:73 in Sarajevo's Zetra, thus concluding the quarterfinal duel with a 2:0 series lead, writes arenasport.

The atmosphere in Zetra was great from the very beginning, and the Students started the game much better than many expected.

Already in the opening minutes, Edin Atić was in good form, scoring several points and giving Bosna an early 9:5 lead.

The home team played aggressively and energetically, and the crowd carried Muhamed Pašalić's team. Haris Delalić and Dontay Caruthers made significant contributions, bringing extra energy to Bosna's game.

However, the quality and depth of Partizan's roster quickly came to the fore. Sterling Brown and Isaac Bonga hit important shots, while Bruno Fernando dominated under the basket and brought easy points to the visitors.

Partizan ended the first quarter with a run to lead 26:17, and it was already possible to sense how difficult it would be for Bosna to maintain the same pace for all 40 minutes.

In the second quarter, the Students tried to stay in the game through Jarrod West and Petar Kovačević, while Đoko Šalić hit several important shots from the paint.

However, every time Bosna got within single digits, Partizan had an answer.

Duane Washington was particularly effective, hitting shots at crucial moments, while Nick Calathes brought stability to the offense.

The teams went into halftime with the score at 55:42 for the visitors.

Bosna had its best period in the middle of the third quarter. Caruthers was excellent in transition, Delalić hit several difficult shots, and the crowd in Zetra once again raised the atmosphere.

The Students reduced the deficit to seven points on several occasions, and it seemed like the game could have a dramatic finish.

However, it was then that Partizan showed why it is considered one of the main favorites in the ABA League.

Osetkowski hit an important three-pointer, Jekiri dominated the rebounds, and Bonga scored several crucial points after offensive rebounds.

Bosna lacked the energy for a full comeback in the final quarter.

Partizan controlled the pace of the game, punished the home team's mistakes, and gradually increased their lead, which exceeded 20 points towards the end.

Despite the loss, the crowd in Zetra applauded the Students, aware that Bosna put up a very good fight against one of the highest quality and financially strongest teams in the region for a large part of the game.

Bosna was further weakened tonight by the absence of Lautaro Lopez, Janari Joesaar, and Kasey Shepherd due to injuries, which significantly shortened the home team's rotation.

Partizan will continue its fight for the ABA League title in the semi-finals, while Bosna concludes its season with many positive aspects that can serve as a good foundation for the coming years.