Virtus Bologna returned to the refurbished Virtus Arena on Friday night and narrowly defeated EuroLeague newcomers Dubai Basketball 79-78 in a thrilling encounter. Luca Vildoza emerged as the hero, knocking down two critical three-pointers late in the game, including the game-winner with 27 seconds remaining.
The Argentine guard capped his performance by stealing the ball from Filip Petrusev on Dubai’s final possession, preserving the one-point victory and sending the home crowd into delirium. Vildoza finished with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showcased his clutch ability.
Carsen Edwards carried Virtus for much of the night, scoring 23 points with 17 of those coming in the first half. He also contributed 5 rebounds and 3 assists, helping Bologna establish a lead despite Dubai’s early rally.
Dubai Basketball led at halftime 44-39 after overturning an early 26-13 deficit, setting the stage for a tense second half. Virtus regained control with strong defensive rotations and timely scoring from Derrick Alston (11 points) and Matt Morgan (10 points).
Vildoza’s late-game heroics, including his pivotal three-pointer and final steal, defined the outcome as Virtus overcame 13 turnovers and relied on 11 team steals to pressure the visitors. Head coach Dusko Ivanovic praised the team’s resilience and defensive commitment.
Dubai had five players reach double figures, led by Justin Anderson with 16 points. Aleksa Avramovic and Kenan Kamenjas each added 13 points, with Kamenjas also collecting 6 rebounds. Despite out-rebounding Virtus 39-30, the visitors could not capitalize in the closing seconds.
The tightly contested game saw multiple lead changes, reflecting the back-and-forth intensity that kept fans on edge. Virtus’ ability to convert key plays down the stretch proved decisive against a resilient Dubai side.
With the victory, Virtus improves to 7-7 and hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv in Round 15, while Dubai falls to 6-8 and will face Bayern Munich at home next Friday.
