Dragons face Borac in Čačak on Saturday
Cedevita Olimpija will face Borac Mozzart at Dvorana Borac in Čačak on Saturday at 17:00. In the seventh round of the first phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League, two teams with identical 3-2 records will meet, and the Dragons will be looking to record a second straight regional win and extend their winning run on … Continued
Cedevita Olimpija will face Borac Mozzart at Dvorana Borac in Čačak on Saturday at 17:00. In the seventh round of the first phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League, two teams with identical 3-2 records will meet, and the Dragons will be looking to record a second straight regional win and extend their winning run on Serbian soil against the Čačak side.
After the opening round was postponed, the Ljubljana side began the regional season with a home win over Cibona (89:76). A narrow defeat to Široki TT Kabeli at Pecara (69:70) followed, before head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team won 93:81 at Igokea m:tel in Laktaši, their first victory there since 2022. They then lost to Budućnost VOLI in Stožice (81:95), and last Saturday they beat FMP 96:87 to collect their third win of the regional league season.
The game in Čačak is the first of three consecutive road trips for the Dragons. After facing Borac on Saturday, they will travel to Rostock for another BKT EuroCup test on Tuesday. A short return to Ljubljana will follow before the team heads back to Serbia to take on Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Belgrade next Sunday.
Rok Radović, who missed Wednesday’s game against Derthona with back pain, trained on an adjusted programme on Friday and travelled with his teammates to Čačak and Rostock. Rihards Lomažs, who finished the game against the Italian side in pain, will not make the trip. Cameron Houindo and Brandon Murray remain sidelined with injuries.
TV BROADCAST:
The game will be broadcast live on Arena Sport 1 Premium from 17:00.
PRE-GAME QUOTES:
“We are heading to Čačak wanting to play a good game. We are going into this road trip with practically no real preparation, as the game is already on Saturday at 17:00. We practised in Ljubljana on Friday morning and went over our next opponent with the players. Right now we are focused more on our own team than on the opponent, as we continue to deal with problems that have followed us practically all season. This time we will be without Rihards Lomažs, and Rok Radović is also questionable. Our goal is to put in a good performance and extend our winning run. We know it will be tough, as Borac have been playing very well this season and have shown quality performances against many opponents. They have quality foreign players and experienced local players. So we have a demanding game ahead of us, with little time to prepare, and we will also be missing one of our most effective players,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of the game against Borac.
“In the last two games we took a step in the right direction, so we want to keep the same rhythm and build on what we showed. It will be important to step on the court with a lot of energy, play tough and committed defence, be accurate from distance and, above all, stay consistent throughout the whole game. I think the last two wins have given us some extra confidence, so I’m looking forward to the next challenge and the chance to keep putting in good performances,” said Jayce Johnson before departing for Čačak.
GAME PREVIEW:
Borac Mozzart, led by head coach Saša Ocokoljić, have entered the new season with far more confidence after a difficult last campaign, in which they finished ninth in the relegation group and only secured their ABA League status in the qualifiers with a 2-0 series win over TFT Skopje. After an opening home defeat to Široki TT Kabeli (81:87), they strung together three straight wins: 94:83 over Igokea m:tel in Laktaši, 95:94 at Cibona in Zagreb after trailing by 13 points in the second half, and 95:87 against FMP in front of their home fans.
Saturday’s opponents’ biggest threats are their two Americans. Centre Kahliel Spear, in his first season in Čačak, averages 20 points and 5.8 rebounds. Anthony Roy contributes 18.4 points per game and scored 32 in Zagreb, including the decisive basket in the final seconds. Experienced Jovan Novak runs the offence, averaging 10 points and nine assists per game, and handed out 13 assists against FMP.
In the sixth round last Saturday, Borac lost in Podgorica. Budućnost VOLI led 30:18 after the first quarter, held their lead through half-time, won the final quarter 32:16 and triumphed 105:72. Roy was Borac’s top scorer with 22 points, Marko Radovanović added 10 and Đorđe Ćurčić nine.
On Wednesday in Stožice, the Dragons claimed their first European win of the season, beating Baglietto Derthona Tortona 73:71 after overtime in round six of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Cedevita Olimpija trailed 27:36 at half-time and 29:41 early in the second half before levelling the game in the fourth quarter. A three-pointer from Rihards Lomažs and a fast-break basket from Matthew Hurt put them 64:59 ahead in the final minute, but Justin Gorham forced overtime with a three (65:65). In the extra period, head coach Zvezdan Mitrović was ejected after a second technical foul, Noah Kirkwood tied the game at 71:71 ten seconds from the end, and Anthony Cowan Jr. sealed the win with two free throws just before the buzzer.
Lomažs led Cedevita Olimpija with 16 points and eight rebounds, Kirkwood added 12 points and six rebounds, and Jayce Johnson had 12 points and nine rebounds. Dante Maddox Jr. was Derthona’s top scorer with 13 points, while Gorham added 12. After six rounds of the EuroCup, the Dragons have one win and five losses.
In their most recent regional game against FMP, the Dragons recovered from a 6:9 deficit with a 14:0 run, won the first quarter 27:18 and led 54:45 at half-time. When FMP closed to within two points in the third quarter, Cedevita Olimpija pulled away again with an 11:2 run to 74:63 and held their lead to the end. Jordan Gainey led the way with 17 points, Anthony Cowan Jr. had 14 points and 11 assists, Matthew Hurt scored 14, and David Škara added nine points and nine rebounds.
In the regional league, Matthew Hurt is the Dragons’ top scorer with 16.6 points per game, Anthony Cowan Jr. averages 12.2 points and 4.2 assists, while Rihards Lomažs and Jordan Gainey each score 10 points per game.
Cedevita Olimpija have won all ten previous head-to-head meetings in the regional league, five of them in Čačak. The teams did not meet last season, as they competed in different groups. Their last meeting came in March 2025, when the Dragons won 92:56 in Stožice, while in Čačak they won 94:74 in November 2024. The second meeting between the teams this season will take place in Stožice at the end of January 2027.
ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE – GROUP A, FIRST PHASE, ROUND 7
Dvorana Borac (Čačak, Serbia), Saturday, 7 November, 17:00:
BORAC MOZZART – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (live on Arena Sport 1 Premium)
GROUP A STANDINGS:
| # | Team | GP | W | L | PF:PA | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budućnost VOLI | 5 | 4 | 1 | 450:396 | 54 | 9 |
| 2 | Crvena zvezda Meridianbet | 5 | 4 | 1 | 468:421 | 47 | 9 |
| 3 | Cedevita Olimpija | 5 | 3 | 2 | 428:409 | 19 | 8 |
| 4 | Slovan Bratislava | 5 | 3 | 2 | 413:416 | -3 | 8 |
| 5 | HKK Široki TT Kabeli | 5 | 3 | 2 | 408:414 | -6 | 8 |
| 6 | Borac Mozzart | 5 | 3 | 2 | 437:456 | -19 | 8 |
| 7 | Igokea m:tel | 5 | 2 | 3 | 430:426 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | FMP | 5 | 2 | 3 | 409:426 | -17 | 7 |
| 9 | Cibona | 5 | 1 | 4 | 420:447 | -27 | 6 |
| 10 | Krka | 5 | 0 | 5 | 366:418 | -52 | 5 |
LOOKING AHEAD:
After the trip to Čačak, another European test awaits the Dragons. On Tuesday, 10 November, at 20:00, they will face the Rostock Seawolves in Rostock in round seven of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Then, on Sunday, 15 November, at 18:30, they will visit Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Belgrade in round eight of the AdmiralBet ABA League, where they will be joined by fans travelling on an organised trip with Nomago.
