Fantastic fourth quarter for a win in Belgrade
The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija defeated Mega Superbet 90:72 on Sunday in a matchup of the 11th round of the first part of the AdmiralBet ABA League, recording their eighth consecutive victory. Cedevita Olimpija of Ljubljana opened a stretch of four consecutive away games with a win. On Sunday at noon, in the 11th … Continued
The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija defeated Mega Superbet 90:72 on Sunday in a matchup of the 11th round of the first part of the AdmiralBet ABA League, recording their eighth consecutive victory.
Cedevita Olimpija of Ljubljana opened a stretch of four consecutive away games with a win. On Sunday at noon, in the 11th round of the first part of the AdmiralBet ABA League, the Dragons defeated Mega Superbet 90:72 at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall in Belgrade. For the Ljubljana side, this was their second win over Mega this season and their overall eighth consecutive victory in the regional league. The team coached by head coach Zvezdan Mitrović last suffered a defeat in the ABA League on October 11, when they lost away to Budućnost VOLI of Podgorica.
Already on Sunday evening, the senior team will return to Ljubljana, where on Tuesday at 18:00 they will play the first quarterfinal game of the Spar Cup against Perspektiva Ilirija. This will be followed by a return to Belgrade, where on Saturday at 20:30 they will face a Group B derby against Crvena zvezda Meridianbet.
STATEMENTS AFTER THE GAME:
Zvezdan Mitrović, Head Coach of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“The score does not reflect the real course of the game, as we entered the final quarter tied. We played the first and the last quarter well. In the first half we were more defensively oriented, while in the second half the offense came to the forefront. We won with more difficulty than the score suggests. I will not waste words on all the injuries and illnesses in the team. It is clear that important players are missing. Congratulations to the players on the win. Mega is a young, talented team that entered the game more relaxed, caught up after trailing, and even took the lead. In the end, experience decided.”
Miha Cerkvenik, player of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“Congratulations to Mega for a really good game. The final score is not a realistic indicator of the course of the game. They were a very tough opponent, whom we managed to defeat in the end and record our eighth consecutive win in the regional competition.”
GAME REPORT:
In Belgrade, the Dragons took control of the court first, quickly building a double-digit lead (14:4) and setting the tempo until the middle of the second quarter, when the home team returned to the game and tied the score at 37:37. The Ljubljana team remained focused and responded with a run of five consecutive points, and the Dragons also held a five-point lead after 20 minutes of play. The Slovenian champions’ advantage quickly grew to ten points, but Mega had its own plans, and the teams entered the final quarter tied at 58:58. What followed was an outstanding final quarter by the Dragons, who completely outplayed their opponents in this part of the game and eventually celebrated a convincing victory.
Cedevita Olimpija finished the game with four players scoring in double figures. Aleksej Nikolić scored 17 points, Umoja Gibson added 13 along with six assists. Thomas Kennedy recorded 12 points and six rebounds, while William McNair Jr. scored 11 points. Young Derin Can Ustun logged his first minutes on regional courts.
ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE, REGULAR SEASON, 11TH ROUND
Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall (Belgrade, Serbia), Sunday, December 21:
MEGA SUPERBET – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA 72:90 (16:25, 21:17, 21:16, 14:32)
Cedevita Olimpija: Gibson 13 (6 assists), Girard III 5, McNair Jr. 11, Nikolić 17, Brajković, Blažič 7, Ustun, Ciperle, Cerkvenik 7 (6 rebounds), Škara 9, Chougkaz 9, Kennedy 12 (6 rebounds).
