We start the path Back to the top

On Tuesday at 19.30, the basketball players of Cedevita Olimpija will start their fights in the finals of the Nova KBM League in the home Arena Stožice. The way Back to the top, the Dragons will start with a quarterfinal set against Hops Polzela.

The Cedevita Olimpija basketball players will start the final part of the 2020/21 season on Tuesday. At 19.30 in the Stožice Arena, they will face Hopsi Polzela in the first match of the quarterfinal set. The Dragons thus begin their journey Back to the top, and the title of Slovenian national champion was last won by the Ljubljana club in the 2017/18 season. In the 2018/19 season, the Sixt Primorska basketball players rose to the national throne, and the 2019/20 season ended prematurely due to the coronavirus epidemic, and the champion was not announced.

Head coach Jurica Golemac’s team enters the quarterfinals after finishing the Nova KBM League in first place with seven wins in ten matches.

Hopsi Polzela spent the second part of the national championship in the League for Survival and secured their place in the playoffs of the national championship with a victory of 103: 79 against Triglav in the last round. At the meeting, which took place in the Polzela Sports Hall, Blaž Habot proved himself with as many as 31 points. Former player of the Ljubljana club Žiga Jurček was the second best scorer of the Hopsi with 23 points.

STATEMENTS AHEAD OF THE GAME:

Jurica Golemac, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Before us is the beginning of the always interesting playoffs of the national championship. We start the final part of the season motivated to return the title of national champion back to Stožice. The first test on our path is the quarterfinal set with the Hops. We respect the team from Polzela very much, they always play fast, modern basketball, so we certainly don’t have an easy job ahead of us. We will have to do our best and not underestimate anyone. We have to convince the guys that it will not be easy, and that they have to do their best, just like throughout the season.”

Jaka Blažič, captain of Cedevita Olimpija:
“The final part of the season awaits us. All players need to gather the last atoms of strength to prepare well for the first games. Like the whole season, we will also play step by step in the playoffs. The first match is already waiting for us on Tuesday, the Hopsi are coming to Stožice. We will prepare for them as we would for any other competitor. We expect a victory.”

NOVA KBM LEAGUE, QUARTERFINALS

GAME 1

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, May 4, at 19.30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – HOPSI POLZELA

GAME 2

Sports Hall Polzela (Polzela, Slovenia), Thursday, May 6:
HOPSI POLZELA – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

*Time of Game 2 tip off will be added additionally.
**The team that first reaches two wins, will advance to the semi-finals. Possible Game 3 will be on Saturday, May 8, in Stožice Arena.