English
Vienna was painted red and yellow tonight. After the convincing victory over Austria with 91:59, the Macedonian basketball players were in no hurry to leave the hall. After the final whistle, greetings, photos and joint celebrations with the Macedonian fans who came in large numbers to support the national team followed.
The Macedonian anthem could be heard from the stands throughout the game, and the “red-yellow” color dominated the “Sport Arena Vienna”. Macedonia responded to the fans in the most beautiful way possible – with a basketball lesson for Austria and a convincing triumph. From the very beginning, our basketball players showed that they came for a victory. After the tie at 6:6, Macedonia took full control of the game and ended the first quarter with an incredible 30:14.
The advantage continued to grow in the second period, so at halftime Macedonia led with 49:30. There was no change on the court after the break either. The “Red and Yellows” continued with a confident game, solid defense and excellent execution, and Austria had no answer for the Macedonian game. Until the end, all that remained was to confirm the convincing victory.
Nenad Dimitrijevic was a special story. The Macedonian captain played a fantastic game and recorded a triple-double – 15 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Thus, Dimitrijevic was not only the leader of the team, but also the man who controlled the rhythm of the game and played up the play of his teammates.
Viktor Efremovski was the most efficient in the Macedonian team with 17 points, while Adem Mekic and Moses Wright scored 12 each. Wright, who made his debut for Macedonia, also added nine rebounds.
Macedonia will play its next pre-qualification match on home turf against Cyprus, on November 26.