In the third round of the ABA League, Cedevita Olimpija convincingly defeated Split in Stozice by 97:68.
Split started the game better, with Shamiel Stevenson in good form, giving the visitors an early lead of 6-0. Cedevita Olimpija responded with an 11-2 run, taking their first lead of the game at 14-10. Justin Cobbs and Karlo Matkovic were instrumental in the Ljubljana team’s strong performance in the first 10 minutes, ending the first quarter with a score of 27-23.
The second quarter saw a significant decline for Split, with a 15-1 run initiated by Simone Pianigiani’s team (45-26). The team led by Slaven Rimac, on the other hand, only managed to score nine points by halftime, resulting in an expected 23-point deficit (55-32).
The third quarter didn’t showcase much high-quality basketball and went in a “blowout” mode. Both teams scored 16 points each, and it was clear that everyone was waiting for the game to end, given that Split lacked the strength to catch up in the last 10 minutes (71:48).
The remainder of the game was far from what could be called a competitive match. Cedevita Olimpija systematically increased their lead minute by minute, led by D.J. Stewart and Gregor Glas, resulting in a highly convincing victory for Ljubljana – 97:68.
The leading scorer for the home team was Jaka Blazic with 20 points, while Toni Perkovic stood out for Split with 15 points.
Cedevita Olimpija now has a record of two wins and one loss, while Split has suffered three losses in the new season.
In the next round, Ljubljana will face Igokea away, but before that, they have a game against Besiktas in the EuroCup. Split will host Borac Cacak in the fourth round of the ABA League.