In Bursa for third straight win in 7DAYS EuroCup

The Cedevita Olimpija players will have a new longer trip this week, this time to the Turkish city of Bursa, where they will face the home team Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the third round of the 7DAYS EuroCup on Wednesday at 18.00 Slovenian time and try to extend their streak of European victories.

Cedevita Olimpija is facing a new and difficult test. On Wednesday at 18.00 Slovenian time, the Ljubljana basketball players will face the Frutti Extra Bursaspor team in the third round of Group B of the 7DAYS EuroCup, and chase their third consecutive victory in this European competition.

It will be possible to watch the match live on Euroleague TV.

The selection of head coach Jurica Golemac enter the Wednesday’s match on the wings of two consecutive victories. Last Wednesday, they defeated JL Bourg 91:79 in the second round of the 7DAYS EuroCup in front of the heated throats of the home fans, and on Saturday they were 101: 83 better than Igokea on a hot floor in Laktaši. In Stožice, Edo Murić was the top scorer with 21 points, while Melvin Ejim proved himself against Igokea with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Frutti Extra Bursespor are playing with a lot of ups and downs this season. In the Turkish national championship, the basketball players from Bursa recorded only two victories in six matches, but one of them against the Euroleague Fenerbahce, which they defeated on the home court with 84:73. Apparently, this success gave wings to the players led by Dušan Alimpijević, as only a few days later they defeated Uman Reyer Venice (70:62) in the second round of the 7DAYS EuroCup on the road in Venice. With 18 points, the top scorer was Derek Needham, who we were able to follow last season in the Sailor from Bar jersey.

But on Saturday, the Bursaspor basketball players suffered another defeat in the Turkish national championship. Galatasaray was better than Bursa with 99:84, and this time Allerik Freeman scored 24 points and Andrew Andrews added six assists and five rebounds to 12 points.

Cedevita Olimpija and Frutti Extra Bursaspor faced each other twice in the 2020/21 season, and both times the matches were played in the Tofas Spor Salon. In the first match on November 9, 2020, the Dragons were better with 104: 88, and in the second, Golemeč’s team celebrated the victory with 97:80.

STATEMENTS AHEAD OF THE GAME:

Jurica Golemac, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“In 7DAYS EuroCup no away game is easy. Frutti Extra Bursaspor plays great basketball, which can be confirmed by the victory over Euroleague Fenerbahce and the success on the road in Venice. It is a very talented team that plays aggressive and physical basketball, and the head coach knows us very well, and at the same time he has a lot of discipline in the game, because every player knows what he has to do. If we want to hope for a positive result, we will have to control the defensive rebounding and play good individual defense on their sharp shooters.”

Edo Murić, player of Cedevita Olimpija:
“A challenging match is ahead of us, especially given the fact that fans were able to return to the arenas everywhere. It will be much harder to win at Bursa this season, at least compared to last season. Turkey is known for making the arenas full and at the same time the fans are loud. Frutti Extra Bursaspor has put together a very strong team that is rising in form. Our rivals beat Fenerbahce, and in the 7DAYS EuroCup they also beat Venezia in away game, so it is a very good team. We are growing in the game, and in Bursa we want to do our best to record a new victory, and at the same time we want to show something more again and upgrade our game.”

Zach Auguste, player of Cedevita Olimpija:
“It’s going to be another tough game. We have to come in ready and locked it. They have good guard play, we have to be aggresive defensively, and make sure, we take care of our scouting report.”

7DAYS EUROCUP, GROUP B, ROUND 3

Tofas Spor Salonu (Bursa, Turkey), Wednesday, November 3, at 20.00 (18.00 SLO):
FRUTTI EXTRA BURSASPOR – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

STANDINGS: