Important win over JL Bourg

Cedevita Olimpija celebrated the victory over JL Burg with a score of 94:91 in Round 3 of the Top 16 stage of the 7DAYS EuroCup. The Dragons are in second place in Group G after playing three games.

Dragons have been flying especially high in recent days. After three wins last week, Jurica Golemec’s team continued the series of good results with a  94:91 victory in the match against JL Bourg. With the success in Round 3 of the second stage of the 7DAYS EuroCup, the Ljubljana team took second place in Group G.

The first half of the match in Stožice was marked by attacking excesses and defensive missteps of both teams. The Ljubljana team scored 55 points in two quarters lead by Jaka Blažič, who scored 21 points in just over 15 minutes. Rivals from eastern France on the other side of the court trailed them by four points.

The team from Stožice remained in the lead until the 27th minute of the match when the visiting basketball players took the lead for a few minutes. But Jurica Golemec’s protégés did not let the game slip out of their hands. In the decisive minutes, they were efficient on offense and successful in defense, and at the last sound of the buzzer, they were happy with the well-deserved victory. The Dragons collected nine more rebounds than their opponents and bench players scored a third of all home team points.

Jaka Blažič proved once again why he is the leading scorer of the 7DAYS EuroCup. The Dragons captain scored 30 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Jarrod Jones and Mikael Hopkins scored 16 points, and the latter also collected seven rebounds. Kendrick Perry followed with 14 points and eight assists, while Luka Rupnik collected six.

The Cedevita Olimpija team will be active in the ABA League before facing off with the French team again next Tuesday. On Saturday Dragons will face Partizan NIS in the Round 17 of the regional championship. The match, starting at 19:00, will be live on Arena Sport 1.

STATEMENTS AFTER THE GAME

Jurica Golemac, Head Coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Congratulations to the guys for the important win. We were playing in a crazy schedule so we were afraid of this game. It was evident that we did not have the energy and defensive intensity that adorned us in the last three games. Nevertheless, we were leading, for most of the game and we deserved the win since we kept calm heads and made our free throws. This is a sign of great character this team has. Our ambitions are the same game after game. We are not looking too far ahead, we will just get ready for our next game.”

Jaka Blažič, Captain of Cedevita Olimpija:
“After two wins against Budućnost VOLI we had to repeat our successes. It was a hard game. In defense, we allowed our opponents too many points, which was the polar opposite of our lasts game. The defense is the key to win and we know we can improve that. We know that and this is the most important We have a few days to rest and then we will continue with the season. This team has a lot of talent. I enjoy playing and it shows. I am happy to help the team win.”

7DAYS EUROCUP; TOP 16, ROUND 4

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Wednesday, January 27:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – JL BOURG EN BRESSE 94:91 (24:21, 31:30, 15:20, 24:20)
Cedevita Olimpija: Radović, Perry 14 (8 assists), Hopkins 16 (7 rebounds), Murić 5, Blažič 30 (7 rebounds), Hodžić, Jones 16, Dimec 2, Brown 5, Marinković, Duščak, Rupnik 6.

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