By Еurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
FMP produced a big upset at the start of the historic Serbian League Final Four in Niš, eliminating EuroLeague side and defending Serbian champion Partizan in the semifinal.
The Panthers controlled the game for long stretches and eventually secured a convincing 92-79 victory, sending Partizan out of the competition and booking a place in the title game.
Filip Barna led the winners with 26 points, while Lazar Stefanović added 17. Dušan Radosavljević finished with 14 points and Aleksa Stanojević scored 12 for FMP.
Carlik Jones paced Partizan with 17 points, Arijan Lakić scored 15, while Nick Calathes added 12. Young talent Nikola Đurović also made his debut for the Belgrade club and finished with six points.
FMP built a double-digit lead already in the first half and maintained the advantage throughout the game, entering the fourth quarter up by 16. Partizan managed to cut the deficit in the final period, but the team from Železnik responded on time and comfortably closed out the semifinal to reach Sunday’s final.
The fourth quarter also featured tense moments on the sidelines, as both Partizan coach Joan Peñarroya and FMP head coach Saša Nikitović were ejected after protesting a refereeing decision during Partizan’s comeback attempt.
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