Dragons lose by 13 points to Croatia in Zagreb

(Patria) - The Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team was defeated tonight in Zagreb by Croatia with a score of 89:76 in the third round of qualifications for EuroBasket 2025.

The hosts secured the victory thanks to excellent three-point shooting. The Croats made 18 three-pointers out of 33 attempts (53.12%) and take a huge 13-point lead into Sunday's match in Skenderija, reports Faktor.ba.

The head-to-head record between these two teams could ultimately decide who qualifies for EuroBasket.

Croatia started the match better. In the first five minutes, they hit five three-pointers, three of them by Smith, while Bosnia and Herzegovina did not play the best defense, allowing the hosts' lead to grow to plus 13 in the first quarter. The first period ended with a score of 30:19.



In the second quarter, Bosnia and Herzegovina managed to come back, primarily through excellent offensive rebounding, and the deficit from the first quarter was erased.

Two minutes before halftime, the Dragons took their first lead of the game (45:44) with a three-pointer by Atić.

After that, Alibegović hit a three-pointer for a four-point lead, but the hosts, with two three-pointers from Smith and Drežnjak, regained the advantage and went into halftime with a lead (50:48).

In the first half, Smith and Gegić each scored 13 points.



The third quarter belonged to Croatia, especially its closing stages. After 62:60 midway through the third period, Croatia went on an 11:0 run and entered the final 10 minutes with a 13-point lead (73:60).

Bosnia and Herzegovina opened the fourth quarter with a 6:0 run and cut the deficit to a manageable seven points.

In the last three minutes, after a three-pointer by Bundović, Croatia held a double-digit lead (84:74).

By the end, the Croats had increased their lead to the final 13 points.