OKK Beograd upset KK Brod-Svjetlost in Slavonski Brod

The 2010/2011 edition of the EUROHOLD Balkan League started with a really dramatic game. In the season opener in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, the local side KK Brod-Svjetlost was close to winning against OKK Beograd, but the more experience in Marko Icelics squad was decisive and in the end OKK won 66:72.
 
KK Brod-Svjetlost enjoyed a great start of the game, being supported by more than 2000 spectators in Dvorana Vijus, Igor Kovacevics team started the game with a run of 9:3. With 3.34 left in the first, Brod led the score 15:10. Petar Cosic closed the first quarter with a basket to make it 24:19 for KK Brod-Svjetlost after 10 minutes.
 
 The home team continued to push in the start of the second period and managed to extend their lead to 9 points - 30:21 after another lay-up by Petar Cosic. The biggest lead - 36:25 was fixed after Srdan Helbich scored two points with 6.02 left until halftime. Brod continued to lead the game with a good margin and were up 44:37 at halftime.
 
In the third period, OKK seemed way more motivated than the first half and quickly managed to decrease Brod-Svjetlosts lead to just one point - 47:46 after a jumper by Slobodan Stanojevic, finishing a 3:9 run. After two succesful free-throws, OKK had their first lead of the game - 47:48 with 5.57 remaining in the third. Anyway, the home side turned things in their way again and after 30 minutes they were still ahead with 54:52.
 
The decisive last quarter of the game started with four to nothing run by KK Brod-Svjetlost. The two teams changed the lead a couple of times, before Brod managed to break away - 63:61 with 3.16 left. OKK responded with a 7-0 run, finished by a basket from Dragan Simic to set the score at 63:68. Filip Vukicevic gave hope to the home crowd by scoring for 66:70 with 24 seconds on the clock, but Slavko Stefanovic finished things with two good free-throws for 66:72.
 
Youngster Matej Karlovic impressed for the home team KK Brod-Svjetlost, finishing with 17 points. Point guard Petar Cosic added 16 points, while Ljubo Samadan scored 14 points, along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Filip Vukicevic was impressive in the paint, finishing with 9 rebounds.
 
OKK Beograds key to tonights victory - Slavko Stefanovic managed to score 26 points. The former Lukoil Academic man did this on 7/11 2 pts FG and 100% from the 3 and the charity stripe - 2/2 and 6/6. He was the only player from the visiting side to finish in double digits.