Dragons claim first European win of the season against Derthona in overtime

Cedevita Olimpija beat Italy’s Baglietto Derthona Tortona 73–71 after overtime at Arena Stožice on Wednesday in Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. The Ljubljana side snapped a five-game European losing streak and celebrated their first win in the competition in the 2026/27 season.

On home court, the Dragons took an important step towards closing the gap on the teams fighting for advancement. After Saturday’s victory over FMP, they also picked up a win on the European stage, where plenty of work still awaits them in the rest of the regular season. After six games, their record stands at one win and five losses.

Cedevita Olimpija now face three consecutive away games. On Saturday at 17:00, they take on Borac Mozzart in Čačak in the AdmiralBet ABA League. On Tuesday, 10 November, at 20:00, they visit Rostock Seawolves in the BKT EuroCup, and on Sunday, 15 November, they travel to Belgrade to face EuroLeague side Crvena zvezda Meridianbet.

POST-GAME QUOTES:

Đorđe Adžić, KK Cedevita Olimpija coach:
“First of all, I would like to congratulate the players on the win. In the closing stages, we showed composure, focus and determination. Above all, we did a very good job defensively at the key moments, stopping our opponents with some important defensive plays, and Anthony Cowan then sealed the win with two free throws. Congratulations to the whole team. Looking at how the game went, perhaps we didn’t fully deserve the win, as Derthona played an excellent game. On the other hand, we did deserve it because of the hard work and effort we have put in recently. Wins like this are a reward for our work and proof that we are on the right path. It’s important that we stay on this path and keep working well, and I believe more wins will come, both in the EuroCup and in the ABA League.”

Jordan Gainey, KK Cedevita Olimpija player:
“This was an extremely important win for us. We wanted to show our fans that, despite all the difficulties we are facing, we keep fighting and never give up. We have been dealing with a lot of challenges lately, which makes this win mean even more. Every player left his heart on the floor and gave everything he had. We all fought until the very last moment, and I’m really happy and proud of my teammates. The atmosphere in the arena was incredible and the fans’ energy was fantastic. We need that kind of support at every game, so I want to sincerely thank everyone who came to cheer us on.”

Noah Kirkwood, KK Cedevita Olimpija player:
“This was a very tough game in which our opponents tested us for all 40 minutes and in overtime as well. We built a nice lead in the first half, but then let it slip and had to fight for the win all over again. After five straight losses in the EuroCup, we knew how important this game was for us, so I’m very happy we managed to win. At the end of regulation, they hit a really difficult shot, and they deserve credit for that. Still, we were up by five and should have closed the game out more calmly. If we want to win big games, we can’t afford mistakes like that. It’s a valuable lesson we need to learn from. I wouldn’t say we felt pressure, but we certainly knew it’s much better to be 1–5 than 0–6. All week we stressed that our only goal was to win. Maybe we didn’t get there in the prettiest way, but the most important thing is that we did. Now we have to take the positives from this game, learn from our mistakes and keep working.”

GAME REPORT:

The Dragons made the better start and quickly went ahead, but the visitors from Tortona soon drew level and the first quarter stayed even. In its final moments, the Italian side pulled away to 20–16, but Cedevita Olimpija quickly bounced back and took control of the game and the scoreboard. The Dragons led 25–22, but then their offence stalled. Derthona went on a 14–2 run to take a comfortable lead, which they held until half-time (27–36).

In the second half, the visitors kept trying to break away, but the hosts wouldn’t let them. Even so, after 30 minutes the scoreboard read 44–50. Cedevita Olimpija opened the fourth quarter with an 8–2 run, Johnson tied it at 52–52, and the teams entered the final five minutes at 54–55. At 57–57, Cedevita Olimpija had a possession to take the lead, but Cowan, who had hit a three moments earlier, missed this time. Derthona went back in front on their next possession (57–59). The Dragons responded, and just when it seemed they had the win in hand, the visitors forced overtime with a three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation (65–65).

Three minutes into overtime, with the score at 69–70, Dragons head coach Zvezdan Mitrović was ejected. Shortly afterwards, Rihards Lomažs was injured and David Škara picked up his fifth foul. The visitors again had a chance to win, but squandered it with a series of missed shots. Noah Kirkwood tied the game at 71–71 with ten seconds left. When it looked as though the Italians would have the final possession for the win, they turned the ball over, and with 3.8 seconds remaining Anthony Cowan Jr. stepped to the free-throw line. He made both, giving Cedevita Olimpija their first European win of the season (73–71).

Rihards Lomažs finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Noah Kirkwood and Jayce Johnson each scored 12 points, with Johnson adding nine rebounds. Anthony Cowan Jr., Jordan Gainey and Matthew Hurt all added nine points.

BKT EUROCUP – GROUP A, REGULAR SEASON, ROUND 6

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Wednesday, 4 November:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – BAGLIETTO DERTHONA TORTONA 73:71 OT (16:20, 11:16, 17:14, 21:15, 8:6)
Cedevita Olimpija: Cowan Jr. 9, Gainey 9, Lomažs 16 (8 rebounds), Ustun, Blažič, Osifo, Cerkvenik, Hurt 9 (6 rebounds), Kirkwood 12 (6 rebounds), Kroflič 2, Škara 4 (7 rebounds), Johnson 12 (9 rebounds).

STATISTICS
PHOTO GALLERY

GROUP A STANDINGS