Cedevita Olimpija opened the new competitive season with a defeat in Nova Gorica. In the 2026 Slovenian Super Cup, Krka defeated the Ljubljana squad 71:67 to claim its sixth Super Cup trophy and first since 2016.
Cedevita Olimpija opened the 2026/27 competitive season with the 2026 Slovenian Super Cup game at the Milojka Štrukelj Primary School Sports Hall. The Ljubljana Dragons suffered a 71:67 defeat against Krka, bringing their run of six consecutive Super Cup trophies to an end. Before the game, Cedevita Olimpija director Davor Užbinec received the trophy for winning the Youth Cup standings for the 2025/26 competitive season.
The team from Novo mesto celebrated its sixth Slovenian Super Cup title and first since 2016. Cedevita Olimpija and Krka faced each other in the battle for the first domestic trophy of the season for the third consecutive year.
The two teams will meet again next Saturday at 17:00, when they face off at Tivoli Hall in the opening round of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League.
POST-GAME QUOTES:
Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija head coach:
“Congratulations to Krka on a well-deserved victory. Our opponents were the better team throughout the game. When Osayi Osifo suffered an injury, he became our sixth injured player, which shortened our rotation even further and put us in a very difficult position. I have been emphasising for some time that we need time to develop chemistry as a team. At the moment, injuries are my main concern, as it is extremely difficult to practise and play in this situation, while the start of the international competitions is practically upon us.”
Jaka Blažič, Cedevita Olimpija captain:
“We were not at the required level. There is still plenty of work ahead of us before the start of the BKT EuroCup and the AdmiralBet ABA League. Krka deserved the victory. We need to get back into the gym and improve our game.”
GAME REPORT:
Cedevita Olimpija’s line-up in Nova Gorica on Thursday featured captain Jaka Blažič, Rok Radović, Miha Cerkvenik, Urban Kroflič, Derin Can Ustun, Anthony Cowan Jr., Jayce Johnson, Osayi Osifo and Cameron Houindo. They were joined by young players Jaka Jagodnik, Uroš Stjepanović and Mark Hukić.
The Ljubljana squad has been dealing with several injury issues recently. Jordan Gainey will remain sidelined for at least another 14 days with a thigh injury, while Brandon Murray, Matthew Hurt and David Škara will also spend the next few days recovering from various injuries. Noah Kirkwood was held out of the Super Cup game as a precaution due to knee pain. Osayi Osifo was also injured during the first half in Nova Gorica, with a medical examination in Ljubljana set to determine the severity of the injury.
Following a cautious start by both teams, Cedevita Olimpija seized the initiative late in the first quarter and established a lead. However, Krka took advantage of the Dragons’ shooting struggles in the second quarter to restore parity and move ahead. The team from Novo mesto held a six-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes (51:45), and despite the Dragons’ attempts to turn the game around, they were unable to do so before the final buzzer.
Anthony Cowan Jr. led the scoring for the Green-and-Orange team with 16 points, while Derin Can Ustun added 14 and Urban Kroflič scored 11.
2026 SLOVENIAN SUPER CUP
Milojka Štrukelj Primary School Sports Hall (Nova Gorica, Slovenia), Thursday, 17 September:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – KRKA 67:71 (23:16, 9:20, 13:15, 22:20)
Cedevita Olimpija: Cowan Jr. 16 (6 assists), Houindo 6, Cerkvenik 4, Kroflič 11, Johnson 7, Radović 2, Ustun 14, Blažič 3, Osifo 4, Stjepanović, Hukić, Jagodnik.
