Cedevita Olimpija hosts Valencia Basket in important home game

The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija will host Spanish powerhouse Valencia Basket on Tuesday at 6:30 PM in Stožice Arena as part of Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. The Ljubljana-based Dragons will aim to edge closer to securing a playoff spot against the top-ranked team in Group B.

This is a crucial fixture for Cedevita Olimpija in the EuroCup regular season. On their last home game in the group stage, the Slovenian champions face Valencia Basket, one of the main contenders for the title. With two rounds remaining in the group stage, a win would strengthen Cedevita Olimpija’s position for a playoff berth in the highly competitive Group B.

Valencia has already secured a playoff spot, sitting at the top of the standings with 14 wins and just two losses. Cedevita Olimpija follows in second place with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses. The third to seventh spots are tightly contested, with JL Bourg, Hapoel Jerusalem, Cluj, Turk Telekom, and Umana Reyer all having nine wins each.

The top 12 teams (six from each group) will advance to the playoffs, with the best four (two from each group) receiving a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.

Cedevita Olimpija will be without Andrija Stipanović, who underwent an MRI on Monday and will miss the game due to a calf injury.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for the game are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com, Eventim Slovenia, the Petrol Ticket platform, and all Petrol gas stations in Slovenia. The arena’s box office and gates will open at 5:30 PM. Fans with NLB bank cards can use the “NLB Fast Entrance” for quicker access. Both entrances to Tribune A will be open, as a large crowd is expected.

Fans are encouraged to travel sustainably to the game—on foot, by bike, scooter, or public transport. Ticket holders can ride Ljubljana city buses for free, starting three hours before and after the game.

TV BROADCAST

The game will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1, with pre-game coverage starting at 5:45 PM.

FAN ZONE ACTIVITIES

The fan zone will feature basketball challenges, a kids’ corner with coloring activities, face painting, and games hosted by 6.Zmaj for a chance to win prizes. Additional attractions include:

• Telekom Slovenije: Basketball hoop with prizes.
• Renault Slovenia: 360° camera for photos and videos.
• Union Brewery: Union ISO challenge.
• Woop! Slovenia: Engaging contests with prizes.

During the second and third-quarter break, fans can participate in the “Half-Court Shot” challenge by Zavarovalnica Triglav. Heka Supplements will host giveaways before the game and during the first and second-quarter break. The Green Ladies dance crew and younger groups will also perform.

PRE-GAME QUOTES

Coach Zvezdan Mitrović:
“We only have one day to prepare for Valencia. There’s no big pressure on us; we can prove ourselves, but it will be very tough. Valencia has demonstrated this season, both in EuroCup and the Spanish League, that they are a EuroLeague-level team. They play fast, aggressive basketball, with excellent three-point shooting and offensive rebounding. We need to focus on ourselves and be ready for a tough, physical game.”

Captain Jaka Blažič:
“A win against Valencia would mean a lot. They’re possibly the strongest team in the EuroCup, showing the best performances this season. Our task will be to slow them down and establish our rhythm. If we can do that, we might surprise them.”

Rok Radović:
“I hope the stands will be packed on Tuesday. Valencia is an exciting opponent and probably the strongest team in the EuroCup. We’ll need all the support we can get from our fans for such an important game.”

GAME PREVIEW

Valencia is dominating the 2024/25 season, leading Group B with a 14-2 record and excelling in the Spanish League. In EuroCup, they’ve won their last three games, including a commanding 106-65 victory over Aris. The team ranks at the top in several statistical categories, averaging 97.7 points, 23.7 assists, 41.1 rebounds, and hitting 13.7 three-pointers per game.

Key players include Semi Ojeleye (13.5 PPG, 4 RPG), Jean Montero (12.4 PPG), Xabi Lopez-Arostegui (11.4 PPG), and Matthew Costello (10.8 PPG).

Cedevita Olimpija enters the game following a dominant 114-72 win over Mornar-Barsko zlato in the ABA League, where all players contributed. Gregor Glas led the team with 20 points. In their first encounter this season, Valencia defeated Cedevita Olimpija 109-80 after a strong second half.

BKT EUROCUP, ROUND 17

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, January 28, at 18.30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – VALENCIA BASKET

UPCOMING FIXTURES

After Tuesday’s game, Cedevita Olimpija will travel to Split for an ABA League clash on Saturday, followed by a trip to Hamburg for their final EuroCup group stage match on Wednesday. They will then return home to face Igokea m:tel in the ABA League and Ilirija in the Spar Cup quarterfinals.