Defensive win over Zadar

The Cedevita Olimpija team is back on the winning track in the ABA League after the clash with Zadar. In the 22nd round of the regional championship in Arena Stožice, the Dragons defeated the guests from Dalmatia with 77:56.

Team effort and hustle were the keys to the 16th victory in the ABA League. After 40 minutes of basketball, the Cedevita Olimpija basketball players were more successful than the guests from Zadar with 77:56. In the standings, the Dragons once again swung to a place that brings them to the playoffs.

Under the spotlight of the Stožice beauty, Jurica Golemec’s squad managed to limit the strongest attacking weapons of the guests with a solid defense, which scored only 21 points by halftime. On the other side of the court, basketball players in green-and-orange sportswear relied on a fast-paced transition game through which they scored more than a quarter of their points. The shooting burden of captain Jake Blažič, who missed the match against Zadar due to health problems, was taken over by the players from the bench, especially Rion Brown and Luka Rupnik. The lead, which amounted to 12 points at halftime, was increased to 21 by the end of the match and the Ljubljana team ensured that two points remained in the Slovenian capital.

Brown finished the match as the top scorer of the meeting. He added six rebounds to his 20 points. Mikael Hopkins collected eight rebounds with 15 points. Edo Murić (13 points, six rebounds) and Kendrick Perry (10 points, five assists) were also in double digits. Rupnik added nine points to his personal stats, and Jarrod Jones added five.

The Cedevita Olimpija team will face a new challenge in the regional competition next Friday, when Jurica Golemec’s protégés will be looking for a victory on the road at the Dražen Petrović Basketball Center against Zagreb’s Cibona. Before that, the basketball players from Dragon’s nest will be active in the national championship, where they will face Krka in Novo mesto on Tuesday.

STATEMENTS AFTER THE GAME

Jurica Golemac, Head Coach of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“Congratulations to the boys for the win. It was certainly a very important match for us after all the traveling, injuries and problems. We took advantage of the fatigue of Zadar, that did not have the right energy. We were aggressive enough and played well in defense, which brought us some easy baskets that gave us confidence. In sports, one must know how to play without those who are missing. The team will come together, but we can’t wait for Jaka Blažič to come back.”

Mikael Hopkins, Player of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“I can’t say the win was easy. Every match in the ABA League is challenging, the teams know each other well. It is an important victory. Our goal is to be ranked among the top four teams and to fight for the title, so every showdown is important. We will take it one game at a time and try to progress as time goes on. We have a team created to win. We recorded some big wins over the season. We have also suffered some defeats recently, so we will try to bounce back.”

ABA LEAGUE, ROUND 22

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Saturday, March 20:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – ZADAR 77:56 (20:12, 14:9, 20:21, 23:14)
Cedevita Olimpija: Perry 10 (5 assists), Hopkins 15 (8 rebounds), Duščak, Murić 13 (6 rebounds), Rupnik 9, Brown 20 (6 rebounds), Hodžić 2, Jones 5, Ščuka, Marinković, Dimec 4.

STATS
GALLERY

STANDINGS