Biggest win of the season to conclude the 7DAYS EuroCup group stage

In the 10th round of the 7DAYS EuroCup group stage, Cedevita Olimpija defeated Promitheas Patras for the second time in less than a week. After 40 minutes of play, the scoreboard in Dimitris Tofalos Arena showed the score 105:69 in favor of Jurica Golemec’s squad.

The Cedevita Olimpija team concluded the group stage of the 7DAYS EuroCup in the best possible way. In addition to the fact that the Ljubljana Dragons have already secured their place among the top 16 teams in the European Cup, the players of Head Coach Jurica Golemec played relaxed and took advantage of the fact that Promitheas played the home game in a slightly altered lineup from that which we were able to follow last Thursday in Stožice.

The Ljubljana team opened the match with some attractive plays in the spirit of a relaxed display that adorned the Dragons throughout the match. An excellent percentage of two-pointers and terrific rebounding performance gave the Ljubljana team a lead of four points after the first quarter, which the team in orange-green jerseys increased to 11 points by halftime. The third quarter, in which the Cedevita Olimpija team scored 37 points, dispelled all doubts about the winner of the match. Jurica Golemec’s team led the match to a peaceful end in the last ten minutes, which offered an opportunity to play to younger members of the squad.

All 12 Cedevita Olimpija players were among the scorers this time. Despite the limited playing time of starters, who had a few minutes of rest in the second half, Jaka Blažič scored 18 points with five rebounds and six assists, and Kendrick Perry scored 15 points. Mikael Hopkins achieved the highest statistical index with 14 points and eight rebounds. Edo Murić (14 points) and Alen Hodžić (10 points) were also among the players with a double-digit number of points. Luka Rupnik (8 points) finished the match as the Dragons’ best assistant with seven dimes.

After 40 minutes of play, the scoreboard in the Dimitris Tofalos Arena displayed the score 105:69 in favor of Ljubljana, and with the victory, Dragons took a decisive step towards first place in Group D after the regular part of the season. Now the Dragons’ eyes will be shifting to Trento, where the home team Dolomiti Energia Trento and the visiting Gran Canaria are fighting in the Round 10 game of the 7DAYS EuroCup. For the first place in the group, the victory of Trent0 is enough for the Dragons, but only if it is with less than a  43 points difference.

STATEMENTS AFTER THE GAMES:

Jurica Golemac, Head Coach of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
»Promitheas rested their main players in the second half. We professionally did our work and I congratulate my guys for the qualification to the Top 16 stage. We look forward to the next fixture in the ABA League and our opponents in the next phase of the 7DAYS EuroCup.«

Jaka Blažič, kapetan KK Cedevita Olimpija:
»We did not expect such an easy game although we knew Promitheas had no chance of finishing in the top four spots in the group before the match. Our opponents gave the chance to play to their younger players which was the reason for such a win. We are waiting for the result of the game between Energia Dolomiti Trento and Herbalife Gran Canaria to see on which position will we finish the group stage.«

7DAYS EUROCUP, ROUND 10

Dimitris Tofalos Arena (Patras, Greece), Wednesday, December 16:
PROMITHEAS PATRAS – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA 69:105 (23:27, 13:20, 17:37, 16:21)
Cedevita Olimpija: Radović 3 (6 rebounds), Perry 15, Hopkins 14 (8 rebounds), Murić 14, Duščak 1, Blažič 18 (5 rebounds, 6 assists), Hodžić 10, Jones 3, Dimec 9 (6 rebounds), Ščuka 5, Marinković 5 (8 rebounds), Rupnik 8 (7 assists).

STATS
GALLERY

STANDINGS:

* Qualified.