Away game against Mornar is coming up

The Cedevita Olimpija senior team is once again hitting the road. On Saturday at 17.00, in the third round of the regular season of the AdmiralBet ABA League, the team from Ljubljana will visit Mornar-Barsko zlato.

After their victory in the second round of the BKT EuroCup against Venice’s Umana Reyer on Tuesday, Cedevita Olimpija faces two consecutive away games, during which they won’t return to Ljubljana. On Saturday, they face the third-round game of the AdmiralBet ABA League against Mornar-Barsko zlato, where the Ljubljana basketball players will aim to break a streak of two defeats in the regional league.

The team has traveled without head coach Zvezdan Mitrović, who will miss the away games as a precaution due to health issues, and Brynton Lemar, who will be out for at least six weeks due to a foot injury.

STATEMENTS BEFORE THE GAME:

“We’re not focusing on the two defeats; we are preparing for this game like any other. We have two away games ahead of us, but we are not thinking about Turk Telekom yet. Mornar is a team that had some issues during their preparations. Our opponents gathered late and only played two friendly matches, so we mainly focused on their last game against Crvena Zvezda. Our team is still adapting to the ABA League, as we have several players who haven’t played at this level before and need time to adjust. The first two games showed us what we can expect from the regional league, and we already got a taste of an away court in Železnik. I expect a response from the players after a good game against Umana Reyer, and that the good atmosphere and positive energy will carry over to the whole team. I also expect a better performance than in the first two games in the regional league, and hopefully, we’ll record a win,” said Đorđe Adžić, assistant coach of Cedevita Olimpija, who will lead the team in Mitrović’s absence, alongside the rest of the coaching staff.

“We have a tough away game ahead of us. Our opponents don’t have much to lose, but they have a lot to gain, so they will definitely play with energy and intensity. Mornar plays fast and freely this season, doing many different things on the court, and their style allows them to play outside of a structured system. That makes them one of the harder teams to prepare for because every player can be a threat. The coaching staff has done an excellent job in preparation, so we are counting on securing two points,” said DeVante Jones ahead of the game in Bar.

TV BROADCAST:

The game against Mornar-Barsko zlato will be broadcast live on Arena Sport Slovenia 1 Premium, and the game will also be streamed on VOYO.

GAME PREVIEW:

While Cedevita Olimpija successfully started the new season of the EuroCup, recording two wins in two games, they have yet to achieve success in the AdmiralBet ABA League after two games. In the opening round, they lost away to FMP Soccerbet, and last weekend, they were defeated by Dubrava in Stožice. However, the Slovenian champions returned to winning ways on Tuesday with a victory over Umana Reyer (87:82). In a game full of comebacks and lead changes, the Zmaji (Dragons) kept their composure in the final moments, with Aleksej Nikolić sealing the win.

The top scorers in the green-and-orange jerseys were Devin Robinson and Jaka Blažič, both with 17 points, followed by Aleksej Nikolić with 12. DJ Stewart, DeVante Jones, and Brynton Lemar each scored nine points, though Lemar left the game after the first half due to a foot injury.

Mornar-Barsko zlato entered the new season of the regional league with a practically revamped roster compared to last season. The roster includes several young players with Montenegrin passports, and Lovre Runjić, who previously played in Split, joined the team from the regional league. In the first two rounds, the Montenegrin team played against Budućnost VOLI and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet. In the Montenegrin derby, Budućnost claimed a 98:51 victory, while the reigning champions defeated Mornar in the second half, winning 91:72.

Mornar’s most effective player in the first two rounds was Brandon Jenkins, who scored nine points in 33 minutes during the first game against Budućnost.

ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE, ROUND 3

SRC Topolica (Bar, Montenegro), Saturday, October 5, at 17.00:
MORNAR-BARSKO ZLATO – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (TV broadcast on Arena Sport 1 Premium and online stream on VOYO)

LOOKING AHEAD:

After the game in Bar, the team from Ljubljana will travel directly to Ankara, where on Tuesday, at 6:30 PM Slovenian time, they will face Turk Telekom, aiming for their third win of the EuroCup season. They will then return home, not to Stožice, but to Tivoli, where on Saturday, October 12, at 4:00 PM, they will host Split. On Tuesday, October 15, they will face 7Bet-Lietkabelis in the fourth round of the BKT EuroCup. Tickets for the game against Split are already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.