Mrkonjić Grad waited until the last 10 minutes to take control — then never gave it back.
Behind a 26-19 fourth quarter, Mrkonjić Grad closed out a 76-70 win over Leotar Trebinje on April 18, 2026 at Arena Komercijalne Banke, turning a tight, low-margin game into a needed result in the Prvenstvo BiH regular season. Mrkonjić entered at 8-16; Leotar at 10-14.
Game flow: Leotar’s early edge, Mrkonjić’s late punch
Leotar set the tone early, taking the first quarter 21-16 and carrying a 34-32 lead into halftime after holding Mrkonjić to 16 points in the second. But the game stayed within one possession through the third (Leotar still ahead 51-50), and Mrkonjić’s best stretch came when it mattered most: a 26-point fourth quarter to finally create separation.
That closing burst wasn’t just about shot-making — it was about getting cleaner possessions and finishing the game with fewer empty trips. Mrkonjić finished with 12 assists against 12 turnovers, while Leotar had only 7 assists with 11 turnovers, a gap that showed up most clearly in late-clock situations in the fourth.
Possession battle: similar margins, different outcomes
The margins were thin across the team totals: Mrkonjić won rebounds 33-32, and turnovers were nearly even (12 for Mrkonjić, 11 for Leotar). But Mrkonjić stacked enough small advantages to win the closing minutes — including a better night at the line (13/17) compared to Leotar (11/16), and a slight edge in ball pressure (5 steals to 4).
Three-point volume didn’t decide it
Both teams leaned heavily into the three: Mrkonjić went 7/24 and Leotar 5/24. With neither side finding consistent perimeter rhythm, the game tilted toward execution, free throws, and who could generate assisted looks in the half court late.
Pre-game indicators: home CPI edge shows up in crunch time
On paper, this was a matchup between teams with similar profiles — but the pre-game CPI leaned toward Mrkonjić Grad. Mrkonjić entered with a CPI of 33.66 (ranked 8) versus Leotar’s 25.94 (ranked 11), a differential of 7.7. Friday’s finish matched that: when the game tightened, the home side played with more structure and produced the cleaner fourth-quarter run.
Rest wasn’t a separator. Mrkonjić had 6 days off (1 game in the last 7 days), while Leotar had 7 days off (0 games in the last 7 days). With no significant injuries reported for either team, this came down to execution rather than availability.
Context that mattered: Leotar’s road skid continues
Leotar’s away split coming in was stark: 0-5 on the road, averaging 68.8 points. This one followed the same script — competitive for long stretches, but not enough late offense to finish. Mrkonjić, meanwhile, improved on a home profile that had been inconsistent (2-4), and did it by winning the only quarter that truly swung the game.
Key takeaways
1) Mrkonjić’s fourth quarter was the difference. After trailing by one entering the fourth, the home team scored 26 in the final period and won by six.
2) Assisted offense separated the teams. Mrkonjić posted 12 assists to Leotar’s 7, a meaningful gap in a game where both teams struggled to create easy points from deep.
3) Leotar couldn’t break the road pattern. Another away loss, another game that slipped late — consistent with their winless road split entering the night.