Loss against Virtus in overtime

The Cedevita Olimpija lost to Virtus Segafred Bologna after a tense and even match. The Dragons fell 98: 108 in overtime in Round five of the Top 16 stage of the 7DAYS EuroCup.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna, the only undefeated team in the 7DAYS EuroCup, kept their winning streak alive in Arena Stožice but only after the extra time. The Cedevita Olimpija team came close to the scalp of the European giant with a brave and hearty performance, but the favorites of the Ljubljana audience had to congratulate the guests for the victory with a score of 108:98 after 45 minutes of intense basketball performance. The Dragons will have to wait at least until tomorrow and the result of the match between JL Bourg and Budućnost VOLI to qualify into Top 8, and they will have their destiny in their own hands on the road in Podgorica next Tuesday.

The first quarter of the meeting, as expected, began with an uncompromising performance by both teams. The guests gained the first major advantage in the second quarter when they took the lead by 14 points after the shooting fast of the Ljubljana basketball players, but they still finished the half trailing. Jurica Golemec’s team consolidated their ranks in the final minutes of the first half and completely reversed the course of the match with a run of 18:4.

In the second part of the match, the Ljubljana team continued with the rhythm from the end of the first half. In the defensive half, they limited the contribution of the strongest attacking weapons of Virtus, and on the offense, the rest of the teammates added their share of the points to those of Jaka Blažič and Edo Murić. One minute and 35 seconds until the end of the regular part of the match, with the home team leading by seven points, everything seemed to indicate that the victory would remain in Ljubljana. But at the end of the fourth quarter, Saša Đorđević’s protégés managed to direct a turnaround and bring the match into extra time.

In the additional five minutes of the match in the Arena Stožice, the basketball players in the green-orange jerseys lacked some strength and concentration, and the Virtus team extended their undefeated streak in the 7DAYS EuroCup to 15 matches. At the last sound of the buzzer, the Italian basketball players were looking forward to the victory with the result 108:98.

Jaka Blažič proved once again why he is one of the top scorers in the 7DAYS EuroCup. Ljubljana team captain torched the away team with 29 points and five rebounds. Edo Murić followed with 18 points and five rebounds. Kendrick Perry had 15 points, five rebounds and dished out nine assists. Luka Rupnik finished the game with 16 points, most of his scoring efforts coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Jarrod Jones (11 points) also scored in double digits.

Team from Stožice will play two games in the upcoming days. Juniors will join the squad for the Thursday’s duel against Rogaška in the Nova KBM League and over the weekend the green and orange team will chase their 15th victory in the ABA League away at Borac Čačak.

STATEMENTS AFTER THE GAME

Jurica Golemac, Head Coach of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“Congratulation to Virtus Segafredo Bologna for the well-deserved win. We hadour opportunities but were not able to grab the rebound at the end of the game which lead us to overtime. We lacked energy in the finish and the win went to Bologna.”

Jaka Blažič, Captain of KK Cedevita Olimpija:
“Cedevita Olimpija played a good game from the first to the last minute. Rebounding decided the winner at the end. In the extra time we ran out of energy to compete with Italians. We have to recover quickly. In 7DAYS EuroCupu there is one more game ahead of us which can take us to Top 8 stage. I think we deserve that and we will do everything to make it happen.”

7DAYS EUROCUP; TOP 16, ROUND 6

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, March 3, ob 20.30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA (22:23, 18:16, 22:17, 29:35, 
Cedevita Olimpija: Radović, Perry 15 (5 rebounds, 9 assists), Hopkins 4 (5 rebounds), Murić 18 (5 rebounds), Blažič 29 (5 rebounds), Hodžić 2, Jones 11, Dimec 1, Brown 2, Ščuka, Duščak, Rupnik 16.

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