Dragons return to Stožice to host Le Mans

Cedevita Olimpija will host Le Mans Sarthe Basket at Stožice on Wednesday at 18:30 in Round 4 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Following Saturday’s win in Laktaši, the Dragons will be looking to secure their first European victory of the season, while the French side arrives in Ljubljana on the back of wins over … Continued

After three consecutive away games, Cedevita Olimpija returns to its home fans. Head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team rounded off a demanding road trip with a 93–81 victory over Igokea m on Saturday in Round 4 of the opening phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League. The win ended a three-game losing streak across the two international competitions and provided a welcome boost ahead of the next European challenge.

Anthony Cowan Jr. led the Dragons in Laktaši with 21 points and finished with a performance index rating of 27. Jordan Gainey recorded 16 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Urban Kroflič also reached double figures with ten points. After a tied opening quarter, the Ljubljana side won each of the remaining three periods to bring its road trip to a successful close.

The team will now look to produce another winning performance on the European stage. Following defeats to Burgos, Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem and Riga Zelli, Cedevita Olimpija is still searching for its first victory in Group A. The Dragons lost 79–89 in Latvia last time out, making Wednesday’s return to Stožice an opportunity to improve their European record with the backing of their home fans.

Le Mans also opened its BKT EuroCup campaign with two defeats before beating Rostock 82–70 at home last Wednesday. The French side completed a successful week on Sunday with a dramatic 91–90 victory over Bourg in Round 4 of the French league. Lucas Dufeal scored the winning basket on the final play drawn up by head coach Guillaume Vizade. Le Mans therefore arrives in Ljubljana riding a three-game winning streak across the two competitions.

To avoid congestion in the Stožice parking garage, we recommend that all spectators travel to the game by public transport and leave at least 60 minutes earlier than usual. Your game ticket entitles you to free travel on Ljubljana’s LPP city buses for three hours before the game and three hours after it ends.

If you are travelling by car, please use the car parks near Stožice (Žale I, Žale II, Žale III, Žale IV, Žale V, Kranjčeva and Gosarjeva). The parking garage next to Stožice Arena will remain open only until its limited capacity is reached.

TICKETS:

Tickets are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com, Eventim Slovenia and all Petrol service stations across Slovenia. As part of Old School Night, senior citizens can purchase tickets at the special price of 5 EUR.

The arena box office and doors will open at 17:30. The NLB “Fast Entrance” will once again be available, allowing spectators who present an NLB bank card upon entry to access the arena more quickly.

TV COVERAGE:

The game against Le Mans will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1. The pre-game studio show begins at 17:45, with tip-off at Stožice scheduled for 18:30.

GAME NIGHT ACTIVITIES:

Wednesday’s European encounter at Stožice will also be Old School Night, bringing generations together, celebrating basketball memories and creating new ones. A special invitation goes out to everyone who has followed the Ljubljana club for decades: this is your chance to share part of your story as a fan with younger generations.

The fan zone opens at 17:30. Alongside activities organised by the club’s sponsors and partners, as well as face painting, visitors will be able to meet local pensioners’ associations and explore part of the club’s history. Old jerseys, trophies and photographs will be on display to the left of the VIP entrance, bringing back memories of past eras of Ljubljana basketball. Čewapi will provide food before and after the game.

During the game, prize contests organised by sponsors and partners and old-school music will add to the atmosphere. At half-time, pensioners from Nova Ljubljanska banka and the Fužine Activity Centre will take to the floor for a special dance performance.

Join us for an evening that will once again show how a love of basketball brings all generations together!

PRE-GAME QUOTES:

“I would like us to finally have the full team together, but we are still dealing with injuries. It is difficult to explain why this keeps happening, but we have to adapt. Le Mans is a very interesting team, the kind I enjoy watching. They are young, fast and athletic, with some experienced players inside and several very talented individuals. They are a strong opponent and have shown that they can compete with quality teams. We face a demanding challenge. We will need to respond with plenty of energy, run the floor, play well one-on-one and stay focused at both ends,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of the game.

“We returned to Ljubljana on Sunday after a ten-day road trip. On Monday, we had our first video session and began preparing for Le Mans. We know their quality, how they play on offence and the players on their roster. We were all very happy with Saturday’s win in Laktaši; it was my first win there. We know we are dealing with quite a few injury problems. Our job is to compensate for their impact as best we can and compete even in positions we are less familiar with. We have to fight in every game, in every practice and for every ball. Winning is all that matters to us, and I hope we can get as many wins as possible over the rest of the season,” said Rok Radović ahead of the meeting with Le Mans.

“Le Mans is a very good team. Both teams are hungry for a win, and they have plenty of talented players who can step up. We will need to prepare well, stay focused on offence and defence, and give everything we have on the court. It will be important to compete hard and play as a team,” said Jordan Gainey ahead of Wednesday’s game.

GAME PREVIEW:

Under Guillaume Vizade, Le Mans has a variety of offensive options. In the backcourt, Carlos Stewart Jr. is an important contributor who can attack the basket and create his own shot, while Jordan King combines playmaking with scoring. Melvin Ajinça and Moses Wood pose a threat on the wings, with Bastien Grasshoff providing another perimeter shooting option. Experienced big men TaShawn Thomas and Wilfried Yeguete play important roles inside.

The French team demonstrated its balanced scoring in its first European win of the season. Stewart scored 12 points against Rostock, while five of his teammates added ten apiece. Among them, Léopold Delaunay complemented his ten points with seven rebounds and six assists. Le Mans established the decisive advantage in the second quarter, which it won 32–16.

Wednesday’s visitors hold a 3–1 record after four games in the French league. Before beating Bourg, they defeated Gravelines-Dunkerque 103–97 and Saint-Quentin 98–87, while losing 101–103 to Paris. In the BKT EuroCup, they fell 74–87 to Aris and 83–89 to Tortona before overcoming Rostock. In Sunday’s game against Bourg, Stewart Jr. scored 20 points, Grasshoff added 19, and Delaunay finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON, GROUP A, ROUND 4

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Wednesday, 21 October, at 18:30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – LE MANS SARTHE BASKET (buy tickets; live on Šport TV 1)

GROUP A STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

After facing Le Mans, Cedevita Olimpija will host Budućnost VOLI at Stožice on Saturday at 17:00 in Round 5 of the opening phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League. The Dragons will then travel to Thessaloniki to face Aris Thessaloniki Betsson on Wednesday, 28 October, at 18:30 Slovenian time in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. They will round off October with a home game against FMP on Saturday, 31 October, in Round 6 of the opening phase of the regional competition.