Cedevita Olimpija lost 69:70 to Široki TT Kabeli at GSD Pecara on Saturday in Round 3 of the first phase of the AdmiralBet ABA League. The Ljubljana side led by 11 points in the fourth quarter but could not hold on, suffering their first regional defeat of the 2026/27 season after opening their campaign with a win over Cibona.
Following their road victory over Borac Mozzart in Čačak, Široki TT Kabeli claimed a second consecutive win on their return to the top tier of regional basketball. The Dragons now have one win and one loss from their two AdmiralBet ABA League appearances.
The Ljubljana side thus began their run of three consecutive away games with a defeat. Their next test comes on Wednesday in Latvia, where they will face Riga Zelli in Round 3 of the BKT EuroCup regular season and look to secure their first European victory of the campaign.
POST-GAME QUOTES:
Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija head coach:
“First of all, congratulations to our opponents on the win. This is their second consecutive victory, which confirms their quality. I think the home players’ determination, backed by the support from the stands, made the difference in the end. They made some extremely difficult shots and were accurate from the free-throw line. We, on the other hand, missed some important free throws and then turned the ball over by throwing it out of bounds. These are basic mistakes that show our team is still a long way from being a cohesive unit. We also brought in a few players who were unwell to try to help the team. Despite that, we let a game that was in our hands slip away. Our opponents deserved the win through their determination, the support from the stands and their collective effort.”
Jayce Johnson, Cedevita Olimpija player:
“Unfortunately, the game did not go our way. I think we fought as hard as we could, but we could not pull out the win down the stretch. We need to be more aggressive on defense. We cannot change the result now, but we can watch the film, learn from it and work hard to be better in the next game.”
GAME REPORT:
The game in Široki Brijeg was decided in the final seconds. The Ljubljana side were close to their second regional victory, taking a 58:47 lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and still leading 68:62 with two minutes remaining. However, they could not hold on to their advantage. Tayler Persons scored with fewer than ten seconds left to put Široki ahead 70:69, before David Škara missed a potential game-winning three-pointer on the final possession.
Matthew Hurt led Cedevita Olimpija with 24 points, while Rihards Lomažs was the only other player to reach double figures, finishing with 13. Urban Kroflič contributed eight points, Anthony Cowan Jr. added seven, and Jayce Johnson recorded five points and 13 rebounds.
ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE – GROUP A, FIRST PHASE, ROUND 3
GSD Pecara (Široki Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Saturday, 10 October:
ŠIROKI TT KABELI – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA 70:69 (16:19, 20:18, 11:16, 23:16)
Cedevita Olimpija: Cowan Jr. 7, Radović 4, Gainey, Lomažs 13, Blažič 2, Osifo, Cerkvenik, Hurt 24 (5 rebounds), Kirkwood 3, Kroflič 8 (5 rebounds), Škara 3, Johnson 5 (13 rebounds).
GROUP A STANDINGS:
| # | Team | Played | Wins | Losses | PF | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HKK Široki TT Kabeli | 2 | 2 | 0 | 157:150 | 7 | 4 |
| 2 | Cedevita Olimpija | 2 | 1 | 1 | 158:146 | 12 | 3 |
| 3 | Crvena zvezda Meridianbet | 2 | 1 | 1 | 190:181 | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | Borac Mozzart | 2 | 1 | 1 | 175:170 | 5 | 3 |
| 5 | Igokea m | 2 | 1 | 1 | 180:183 | -3 | 3 |
| 6 | Budućnost VOLI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 168:173 | -5 | 3 |
| 7 | FMP | 1 | 1 | 0 | 90:89 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Krka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 72:77 | -5 | 1 |
| 9 | Slovan Bratislava | 1 | 0 | 1 | 89:97 | -8 | 1 |
| 10 | Cibona | 1 | 0 | 1 | 76:89 | -13 | 1 |
