For the first time in its history, Jahorina will play in the final of the Republika Srpska Basketball Cup, where it will face Igokea.
The team from Pale secured a dramatic 67:65 victory over Borac in the semifinal clash on their home court. The Banja Luka team led for most of the game but faltered in the closing moments. The hero for Jahorina was Rajko Gutalj, who hit a three-pointer with seven seconds left to give his team the lead. In the final moments, Darko Talić attempted a drive to force overtime but missed, and the referees did not call a foul.
“The feeling is fantastic. As soon as I released the shot, I knew it was going in. I can’t put into words the emotions I’m feeling right now. I just want to thank my teammates and our fans. We showed great character as a team and deserved to be in the final. Congratulations to Borac—the ball was on our side this time, and we’ll see each other again,” said Jahorina’s captain Rajko Gutalj, who finished the game with nine points.
Jahorina’s top scorer was Stefan Mijović with 20 points, followed by veteran Milan Milošević with 16. Borac played without Milić Blagojević, Srđan Gavrić, and Srđan Bošković. Their top scorer was Ty Harris with 17 points, while Stefan Simanić and Đorđe Topolović added 13 each.
In the other semifinal, Igokea had no trouble dispatching Radnik with a commanding 99:65 win. As expected, the leader of the Republika Srpska First League fought hard in the first half against the ABA League club but couldn’t keep up in the second half as Igokea continued to widen the gap.
Nikola Mičić led the home team with 21 points, followed by Dejan Kokoruš with 12 and Đorđe Mičić with 11. On the other side, Terrell Carter and Nikola Marić scored 17 points each for Igokea, Dragan Milosavljević contributed 15, Ognjen Radošić had 12, and Strahinja Gavrilović added 11.
The date of the final is yet to be determined, and the cup winner will secure a spot in the Final Four of the Mirza Delibašić BiH Cup.
Source: Glas Srpske
