Novi Sad back to winning form after claiming F.I.P Rimini Challenger

RIMINI (Italy) - The number one team in the world Novi Sad (SRB) lived up to the hype at the F.I.P Rimini Challenger defeating Princeton (USA) in the final. 

The winners: Novi Sad (SRB)

The number one team in the World bounced back after a disappointing loss in the quarter-finals of the Bucharest Challenger. The Chengdu and Mexico City Masters winners were a force in Rimini and finished the competition undefeated and conceded only 13 points per game on average. 

The final against Princeton (20-17) was an opportunity for revenge for the Serbs, who lost against them in the quarter-finals of the Bucharest Challenger two weeks ago. Dusan Bulut led all scorers in the final game with 11 points. World Cup MVP Robbie Hummel was Princeton's top scorer in the title game with 6 points. 

Dusan Bulut led all scorers in Rimini with 45 points. Tamás Ivosev was third in the charts and contributed to Novi Sad's title with 28 points. overall.

Key Stats:

Number one in points per game (21.2) and shooting efficiency (0.65) 

Novi sad were unstoppable from inside the arc. They netted 69% of their attempts.

The runners-up: Princeton (USA)

The American squad has proven to be one of the hottest teams on the tour after reaching the final at the Prague Masters and the semi-finals at the Bucharest Challenger. 

The #7 ranked team in the World went all the way to the final defeating NY Harlem, a team that had won their last 3 Challengers, in the semi-finals (21-18) before falling short in the final against Novi Sad. 

They were number one in highlights (53) and second in scoring (95). Also, Robbie Hummel finished second in the scoring charts with 31 points. 

 
The reward: Two tickets to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Debrecen Masters

Novi Sad and Princeton will join Vrbas (SRB), Jeddah (KSA), Riga Ghetto (LAT), Liman (SRB) in Debrecen. 

Final Standings
1. Novi Sad  (SRB)
2. Princeton (USA)
3. NY Harlem (USA)
4. Zemun (SRB)
5. Gagarin (RUS)

Top Scorers:
1. Dusan Bulut - Novi Sad: 45pts.
2. Robbie Hummel - Princeton: 31pts.
3. Tamas Ivosev - Novi Sad: 28pts.
4. Kareem Maddox - Princeton: 28pts.
5. Joey King - NY Harlem: 27pts.

Key Stats:
- Monaco made it all the way from the Qualifying Draw to the quarter-finals. They lost against eventual winners Novi Sad.
- Zemun (SRB) vs Rome (ITA) was the fastest game of the tournament (8'22")
- Dusan Bulut proved why he's the #1 player in the World leading the event in scoring (45pts), and shooting value (32).

Next Challenger:
Xiongan Challenger (August 23-24) | Qualifier for Los Angeles Masters.