FMP Meridian pull off a comeback in Gripe to beat Split
In the opening game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Round 16, FMP Meridian have triumphed on the road in Split Sports Hall, after a comeback.
FMP Meridian team (Photo: Split/Ivana Ivanovic)
AdmiralBet ABA League Round 16, Friday, 20 January 2022:
SPLIT - FMP MERIDIAN 91:95 (26:19, 12:19, 23:29, 30:28)
Game recap: In the opening game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Round 16, FMP Meridian have triumphed on the road in Split Sports Hall, after a comeback. For the Panthers, this is the 12th win of the season and with a 12:4 record, they remain one of the main contenders for one of the top spots in this Regular Season. On the other side, Split are now on a 5:11 record and the need to start winning again soon in order to keep their Playoffs dream alive.
Key moments: The hosts were the ones to open the game on a better note, as they were up 26:19 after the opening quarter. We did not have to wait long for a comeback by the visiting side and by halftime, the score was already tied at 38:38. In the third quarter, the Panthers got in front. With a 5:0 run, they have pulled away by 6 points (61:67) at the end of the third. Split fought back at the start of the final quarter, and when Tyrell Nelson made his lay-up in the 33rd minute, the score was tied again at 71:71.
The game remained tense all until the final moments. Thanks to their excellent 3-point efficiency, having scored 5/6 last 3-point shot attempts at that moment, FMP Meridian pulled away by 7 points (88:95) at the start of the final minute, as Paulius Valinskas scored his third three-pointer in the final quarter. This turned out to be the key to FMP Meridian win, as the hosts did not manage to turn the game again in their favour in the final 60 seconds.
Man of the match: Aleksa Stepanović was the most efficient player for FMP Meridian this time, as he finished the clash with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a valuation of 23. He is our man of the match!
Can’t trick the stats: For Split, the players that came on court from the bench, contributed only 6 points. This turned not to be enough to help their team grab a win against opponent as good as FMP Meridian.
Stats
Players on court
| SPL | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 7 | Tišma B. | 21:04 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| 8 | Runjić L. | 30:10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 12 | Shorter S. | 37:11 | 27 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 38 |
| 15 | Jukić J. | 06:46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -5 |
| 30 | Mavra D. | 38:05 | 18 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 28 |
| FMP | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 1 | Frazier T. | 31:40 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| 2 | Beech III L. | 11:42 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Stepanović A. | 29:01 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
| 22 | Jenkins C. | 28:03 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 66 | Valinskas P. | 22:24 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Last 5 actions
| Min | Score | Action |
| game finished | ||
| end of 4. quarter | ||
| 00:05 (Q4) | BEECH III L. substitution (in) | |
| 00:05 (Q4) | 5 PAVIĆEVIĆ M. substitution (out) | |
| 00:05 (Q4) | 25 JUKIĆ J. substitution (in) | |
| 00:05 (Q4) | 25 NELSON T. substitution (out) |
|
Top players
| VALUE (INDEX) | ||||
| Shorter S. | 38 | - | 23 | Stepanović A. |
| POINTS | ||||
| Nelson T. | 28 | - | 18 | Manojlović N. |
| REBOUNDS | ||||
| Shorter S. | 9 | - | 5 | Jenkins C. |
| ASSISTS | ||||
| Mavra D. | 11 | - | 6 | Frazier T. |
