December 20, 2018 - In the hall where they have defeated Baskonia, CSKA and Barcelona, the basketball players of Budućnost Voli are looking for a new wonder - a triumph over the European champion. The match starts at 8 p.m.

Hell. This word best describes the layout of the basketball players of Buducnost Voli in the second half of December. After having played three matches in less than 96 hours and losing all three (to Gran Canarias, Cibona and Anadolu Efes), the guys from Podgorica had only a one day for break until the match with one of the greatest European teams – Fenerbahçe.

 The team of Aleksandar Džikić will try to perform another sensation tonight (at 8 p.m.) in "Morača", so that after Baskonia, CSKA and Barcelona, the vice-champion of Europe also collapses. But in order to be able to imagine this, they have to play much better than they did two days earlier in Istanbul, when they lost to Efes 106:68.

"Unfortunately, we are a completely different team on the home court and elsewhere. The good thing is that we know that we will be able to compete tonight, because we play at home, but it is frustrating that we do not know why this difference takes place related to the matches here and away. The fact is that we have incredible fans, but they cannot be held responsible for 40 points. Now we are focused on the match with Fenerbahçe. and we know that we have beat big teams here, but we need to play better than against Efes so we can stay alive," Edwin Jackson is realistic. The French defender knows a recipe for the fight against the visiting team.

"We have to play wisely, not lose balls, control the game. It is also necessary to make them play defense, as they are a team that achieves a lot of points. We have to push them out of their rhythm and find our shot. When it comes to shooting, Buducnost has failed in the last few games, just like Jackson.

"I am not concerned only about me, the whole team has to find better chemistry, a better attack, the ball must be more fluid. If so, we will have every chance to score," 29-year-old from Poa is clear. The problem in the last few matches is that Nikola Ivanovic has not played due to injury.

"We only have a few defenders, he would definitely help us. He has great basketball intelligence, he understands the game, and he is another shooter that would be dangerous in the attack. Aleksa Ilic is also absent, and the season is going on and the exhaustion is slowly coming to us. It's not good when players are missing, because they are important both on the field and outside. I hope that Nikola will return as soon as possible," Jackson concluded.

"After three heavy matches away, we finally have one game at home to catch our breath, but Fenerbahçe is waiting for us, which has great series of nine victories in the Euro league. We do not need to waste words about the opponent, we all know what kind of team and individuals they are. For years they have been together, with the same trainer, a great system, but we have not sold our skin to anyone here, I hope that we will not have to do it to them. We will not look for an alibi in the tiredness and lack of players, we will go out on the field ready to achieve the best possible result," Petar Popovic made it clear.

The young player from Cetinje is aware of how much they miss having Ivanovic, but he does not want to search for justifications in that story.

"In such a strenuous rhythm every player who can play even for a minute, and especially Nikola, which means a lot to us, is important. We are ready to compensate for his absence and try not to feel it in the game," said Popovic.

The team that crashed Baskonia and Barcelona, and especially CSKA, cannot be tossed aside just like that. In the sold-out hall of “Moraca”, even Fener will not be easy, although it is difficult to find the weak point of that team.

"It's stupid to talk about Fenerbahçe's defects and how to find them, not many better teams than us on paper did it. The good thing is that we are accustomed to the audience and made such an atmosphere that everyone expects that we can win against Fenerbahçe. But first of all, we should be realistic and say that they are better than us, but that we will go out to fight and give the maximum. If we win, it would be a sensation," Petar Popovic concludes honestly. 

Text by Nikola Nikolic, on December 20th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

December 19, 2018 - The basketball players of Buducnost Voli suffered the worst defeat in Euro league this season, losing to Efes 106:68.

"The Blue" fought until the middle of the third quarter, and then stopped - the host made a series of 22:0 in five and a half minutes and gained a huge advantage.

"I congratulate Efes on the win. In the second half, they were superior, but we are a better team than we showed tonight, and the question is why we have so easily, without a fight, allowed the opponent to go up 30 points. I will talk to the players," said Aleksandar Dzikic after the match

 Asked why his team stumbled, Džikić replied: "Good question, to which I do not know the answer. At 59:53 it seemed as if we were extinguished We lost energy, we lost concentration, we knew what Buboa could do, we were preparing for him, but we did not succeed... We played fine in the first half, I do not know, I do not understand what happened in the second half," Dzikic said.

Turkish journalists asked whether the reason was the decline in defense or the fact that Erl Clark played only in one direction:

"The reason of our defeat was not because Erl Clark did not play in several directions," Dzikic said.

Text by Vijesti sport, on December 18th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

December 12, 2018 - The Morača Sports Center has been turned into a multifunctional energy-efficient facility, and thanks to new lighting, it is expected to save 80% of energy, according to the UNDP office in Montenegro, which supported the project of energy efficiency with 65,000 euros.

Ana Pajević Tošić from UNDP said that the renovated sports facilities include restoring the large hall, and the complete reconstruction of locker rooms, club offices, media conference rooms, medical rooms, massage rooms, and other accompanying rooms.

In SC "Morača", according to Pajević Tosic, according to the current standard and most modern solutions, a new VIP salon was built.

"Architects who worked on the project tried to limit the carbon footprint of the Sports Center, and make new and old sports facilities more energy efficient. This part of the project was supported by UNDP to help improve the conditions for the development of Montenegrin sport, all following the Law on Energy Efficiency, Global Environmental Change, IOC recommendations, and EU standards."

Through part of the reconstruction related to the energy efficiency of the building, the center received new lighting, and according to Pajević Tosić, electrical installations, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and hydraulic network have also been restored. 

"The project has enabled the replacement of 108 classical bulbs with 52 new LEDs, as well as the installation of supporting equipment, i.e., lighting management system, which will contribute to reducing the cost of electricity and simplifying the management and control system." 

SC "Moraca" is said to be almost the most energy-demanding sports building in Montenegro. New highly efficient LED lighting will save up to 80 percent of energy compared to old traditional bulbs. Also, annually, 80,000 kWh of electricity will be saved, and CO2 emissions will be reduced by 94.1 t - which will even lower maintenance costs.

Text by Damira Kalac, on December 10th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

06 December 2018 - In a defensive-minded game that was decided in the final minutes, Budućnost took down Barcelona in Day 11 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague competition.

After defeating CSKA Moscow in Podgorica, Montenegro, Budućnost VOLI picked up another impressive victory against FC Barcelona Lassa, 67-64 to improve to 3-8 on the year and win its third straight home game.

The game was decided in the final two minutes of regulation, as after 37′, the teams were tied at 59. Generally, throughout the four quarters of the contest, no team managed to go up by double-digits. Nemanja Gordić was the difference for the hosts. His back-to-back three-pointers put the hosts in the driving seat, 62-59. Barcelona missed three straight possessions, as Earl Clark came up with a huge defensive play, and on the other end, scored with Edwin Jackson’s first field goal (64-59).

And while Clark rejected Kevin Pangos with 25 seconds remaining, Gordić’s foul sent Chris Singleton to the free-throw line, and he made it a one-point game, 65-64. On the other end, Jackson made both free throws for the hosts and at the buzzer, Hanga’s shot to force overtime was off. Clark also affected the game to a large extent, with his defensive presence, three blocks, and 12 points.

Minutes after the end of the game, Aleksandar Džikić was overload by the emotions, but remained humble: “We were just lucky. They were the better team. We just jumped them a little bit. Every game is tough in the EuroLeague. We beat Barcelona, but I’m tired and not fully aware of what we just did,” he said.

The 30-year old, Gordić was crucial for the winners, especially down the stretch. Gordić finished the game with 12 points and five rebounds, but his clutch plays in the fourth quarter made the difference.

Both teams were struggling with their three-point shots in the first quarter, combining for just 1/15. Eventually, Barcelona with Thomas Huertel’s buzzer-beating lay-up led by a single point (14-15). The hosts competed excellently with Barca in the first half, playing tight defence and holding the opposition to just 33 first-half points. At the break, Svetislav Pešić’s squad led by two, in a low-scoring affair (31-33).

Adam Hanga was making plays on both ends of the court for the visitors, but the mid-third quarter, the Spanish team could not take advantage of Hanga’s play nor Buducnost’s turnovers (38-39).

Read more about the game here.

December 6, 2018 - After the big win over Turkey, the Montenegrin basketball players have come closer to placing in the World Cup, and at the moment, their trip to China is in their hands.

By the end of the qualification round, Zvezdan Mitrovic's team will play two more matches, against Ukraine away, and then at home against Latvia.

These two victories would surely take Montenegro to the World Cup for the first time.

After nine matches, Montenegro has five victories and four defeats, just like Ukraine and Latvia, their direct rivals for the third-place battle that leads to the World Cup. 

In the next round, Montenegro will visit Ukraine. In the first part of the qualifications, Montenegro defeated Ukraine.

Latvia could also help Montenegro. If they win Spain, who have already qualified for the World Cup, then Montenegro could lose in Ukraine with more points, and defeat Latvia in the last round to go to the World Cup. 

If Latvia loses to Spain and Montenegro wins in Ukraine, then they could lose by eight points to Latvia at home because they defeated the same rival by nine points.

There are many scenarios, but it is essential that Zvezdan Mitrovic and his team stay at the top until the end. 

The decisive matches are scheduled for February 22^nd in Ukraine, which is three days after Montenegro plays against Latvia.

Text by CdM, on December 3rd, 2018, read more at CdM