Ukraine defeats Montenegro 98:89 in World Cup qualifiers

The Montenegro national basketball team suffered a 98:89 defeat against Ukraine in Podgorica during the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. The loss follows a previous defeat to Georgia, leaving Montenegro with a 4-4 record in Group I.

Ukraine secured the victory and took first place in the group with a 6-2 record. Despite Montenegro briefly taking a lead in the third quarter, Ukraine's physical strength and dominance in rebounding allowed them to pull ahead in the final period. Key performers for Montenegro included Jogi Ferel with 22 points, while Svjatoslav Mihailiuk led Ukraine with 23 points.

Montenegro coach Zvezdan Mitrović noted the physical disparity between the teams but expressed satisfaction with the effort shown in the second half. The team's path to the World Cup in Qatar now faces increased difficulty as they prepare for upcoming matches against Spain and Georgia.