Cedevita Olimpija lost 81–95 to Budućnost VOLI at Arena Stožice on Saturday in Round 5 of the first phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League. The Ljubljana side now holds a 2–2 record after four regional league appearances, while Saturday’s game also marked Pink October and raised awareness of breast cancer.
Cedevita Olimpija fell to Budućnost VOLI in their second home game in four days. Following Wednesday’s BKT EuroCup defeat to Le Mans, head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team were unable to overcome the Podgorica side, who recorded their third regional league win of the season. With victories over Cibona and Igokea m and defeats to Široki TT Kabeli and Budućnost VOLI, the Dragons now have two wins and two losses in the regional competition.
Saturday’s game also carried an important message beyond the basketball court. In partnership with Europa Donna Slovenia, the club supported breast cancer awareness for the fourth consecutive year, this time under the slogan “You are the most important piece of fan gear”. Pink was the theme throughout the fan zone and courtside activities, while Cedevita Olimpija’s players also wore pink shirts during their warm-up.
The Ljubljana side will have another opportunity to return to winning ways on Wednesday, when they visit Group A leaders Aris Thessaloniki Betsson in Thessaloniki in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for 18:30 Slovenian time. They will return to Stožice on Saturday, 31 October, to host FMP at 17:00.
POST-GAME QUOTES:
Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija head coach:
“Budućnost made the most of all their strengths, particularly on the boards, where the difference was significant. Unfortunately, we cannot match them in that area. They are the better team, and they showed it. Once they built a lead, we tried to get back into the game, but then we made a few mistakes and the gap grew again. A team of that quality punishes you on three consecutive possessions. This is nothing new or unexpected for us. It was another in a series of games we simply have to get through. I don’t know when our injured players will return. Today, we played with three forwards and nine guards, and against a team like Budućnost, that is a very difficult task. Players are being forced to play out of their natural positions. It is torture for them, and you can see it on the court.”
Rihards Lomažs, Cedevita Olimpija player:
“We knew we had to start the game with physicality and plenty of energy, but we failed to bring that onto the court. It is difficult to explain why we lacked energy again. I think we are also losing confidence at the moment, which draws us even deeper into this difficult spell. I won’t lie — the situation is tough, but we have to stick together. There is still a long season ahead of us. We work hard in every practice and try to improve things every day. I apologise to the fans. Performances like this are unacceptable.”
GAME REPORT:
Budućnost opened the game with a three-pointer and never relinquished the lead. The visitors established their first double-digit advantage in the eighth minute (18–8), but the Ljubljana side responded with a 10–3 run to cut the deficit. A three-pointer from Rihards Lomažs two minutes into the second quarter brought the Dragons within two points (21–23).
They stayed close until 25–28, before the Podgorica side pulled away again with an 11–2 run to restore a double-digit lead (39–27). Former Dragon Yogi Ferrell hit a three-pointer to close the first-half scoring and send the visitors into the break with a 15-point cushion (49–34).
Cedevita Olimpija competed on more even terms in the third quarter but were unable to reduce the deficit significantly. Budućnost stretched their lead to as many as 19 points during that period (68–49). The Dragons continued to search for a way back, but the visitors from the Montenegrin capital answered every attempt to close the gap and remained in control.
Rihards Lomažs led Cedevita Olimpija with 18 points. Matthew Hurt added 15 and Urban Kroflič scored 10.
ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE – GROUP A, FIRST PHASE, ROUND 5
Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Saturday, 24 October:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – BUDUĆNOST VOLI 81–95 (13–21, 21–28, 26–26, 21–20)
Cedevita Olimpija: Cowan Jr. 1, Radović 6 (5 rebounds), Gainey 7, Lomažs 18, Ustun, Blažič 3, Osifo 4, Cerkvenik, Hurt 15, Kirkwood 9, Kroflič 10, Škara 8.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
| # | Team | Games | Wins | Losses | Overall | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crvena zvezda Meridianbet | 4 | 3 | 1 | 368:339 | 29 | 7 |
| 2 | Budućnost VOLI | 4 | 3 | 1 | 345:324 | 21 | 7 |
| 3 | Borac Mozzart | 4 | 3 | 1 | 365:351 | 14 | 7 |
| 4 | HKK Široki TT Kabeli | 4 | 3 | 1 | 326:314 | 12 | 7 |
| 5 | Cedevita Olimpija | 4 | 2 | 2 | 332:322 | 10 | 6 |
| 6 | Slovan Bratislava | 4 | 2 | 2 | 347:352 | -5 | 6 |
| 7 | FMP | 4 | 2 | 2 | 322:330 | -8 | 6 |
| 8 | Cibona | 4 | 1 | 3 | 351:358 | -7 | 5 |
| 9 | Igokea m | 4 | 1 | 3 | 341:357 | -16 | 5 |
| 10 | Krka | 4 | 0 | 4 | 302:352 | -50 | 4 |
