Buducnost claims 2018-19 Erste Liga Title

KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica has done it again. They have won the 2018-19 Erste Liga (Montenegrin League) title. They beat KK Mornar Bar 76-72 in Game 5 of the finals on Wednesday.

After a long and commanding league dynasty that spanned from 2009 to 2017, Buducnost lost their footing in 2018 as Mornar Bar claimed their first-ever league championship in a stunning upset. This season was a different story as Buducnost found redemption and reclaimed that coveted gold trophy. 2018’s loss was a wake-up call and wake up they did. Buducnost had an impressive showing in the regular season with an 8-2 record.

The first three quarters of the game were controlled by Buducnost as they slowly built up a 10-point lead heading into the fourth and final quarter. Mornar Bar would make their stand in the fourth but it was not enough to completely erase Buducnost’s advantage on the board.

The final game was a great highlight for a great season from Nemanja Gordic. He led Buducnost with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists on efficient 7-of-8 shooting from 2-point range and 7-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe. He helped anchor his team’s offense throughout the game. Edwin Jackson and Filip Barovic added 13 points each. The trio executed coach Jasmin Repesa’s game plan and it worked to their benefit.

Mornar Bar was paced by Nikola Rebic, who had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists of his own. Ivan Jelenic and Uros Lukovic chipped in 14 and 13 points, respectively.