In the 21st round of the AdmiralBet ABA League, Cibona secured a 94-82 victory over SC Derby. The home team, in good form, managed to seize control of the tense match towards the end, marking an important win in their quest to secure a spot among the top eight.
Cibona’s coach, Dino Repeša, started the game with the lineup of Krešimir Radovčić, Aleksandar Aranitović, Ivan Perasović, Tomislav Mihael Buljan, and Matej Bošnjak. On the other side, SC Derby’s coach, Dejan Jakara, sent out Luka Bogavac, Emir Hadžibegović, Tomislav Ivišić, Aubrey Dawkins, and Borna Kapusta.
The game began at a slower pace, with Cibona taking an early four-point lead. Soon, SC Derby responded with a 5-0 run, taking the lead. The teams traded baskets for the next few minutes, with Bundović standing out with seven points. Towards the end of the quarter, a three-pointer from Mustapić extended Cibona’s lead to five points.
Gaining momentum with aggressive defense, the visitors tried to come back, but Cibona maintained a good pace and held onto their lead. Both teams showcased brilliant plays towards the end of the quarter, keeping the few spectators engaged and the outcome uncertain. The hosts managed to maintain their lead, heading into halftime with a score of 49-46.
Buljan opened the third quarter with a dunk, and former Cibona player Kapusta scored the first points for the visitors with a three-pointer. After three minutes of play, Cibona extended their lead to +7 with a three-pointer from Radovčić and maintained a consistent advantage throughout the quarter. The hosts entered the final quarter with a score of 73-65.
After two minutes of play in the fourth quarter, Cibona increased their lead to +12, a margin they maintained for several minutes despite two consecutive baskets from Derby players. Bundović, with two consecutive baskets, brought the hosts back to a double-digit lead (86-76). The game concluded with Cibona securing a 94-82 victory, with Krešimir Radovčić as the top scorer with 20 points.
Dino Repeša, coach of KK Cibona, said, “I would like to congratulate the guys given the situation we are in,” highlighting the efforts of the players despite injuries and illness affecting the team.”
Dejan Jakara, coach of KK SC Derby: “First, I have to congratulate Cibona’s team; they had a really excellent game,” acknowledging Cibona’s superior performance and deserved victory.”
Cibona: Krešimir Radovčić (20), Matej Bošnjak (19), Jakov Mustapić (17), Filip Bundović (15), Aleksandar Aranitović (11), Tomislav Mihael Buljan (6), Domagoj Proleta (6), Ivan Perasović, Ivan Majcunić, Josip Pavković, Filip Ferderber.
SC Derby: Igor Drobnjak (14), Vasilije Baćović (12), Aubrey Dawkins (11), Borna Kapusta (9), Emir Hadžibegović (8), Zoran Vučeljić (8), Mateo Drežnjak (8), Luka Bogavac (5), David Mirković (5), Nikola Pavličević (2), Tomislav Ivišić, Vasilije Todorović.
