Add A Comment
Cibona easily defeated Split in front of the home crowd by 81:73 in the 13th round of the regional ABA League.
Lovre Runjic scored the first points, followed by Kresimir Ljubicic. Cibona struggled to score, and Split took an early 11:0 lead. Finally, after almost five minutes of play, Aleksandar Aranitovic made a three-pointer, sparking an 8:0 run for the team from Zagreb. D.J. Funderburk then scored five consecutive points. Aranitovic later converted a 2+1 opportunity and beautifully laid the ball in once again, bringing Cibona back into the game, with a score of 20:18 after the first ten minutes.
The Serbian player equalized with a mid-range shot. The popular “Sani” continued to score, hitting a three-pointer for Cibona’s first lead. Ivan Perasovic then scored from an offensive rebound, and he outplayed Shannon Shorter for the first points of the match. Barisa Krasic’s team held their own in the game, creating mini-runs several times. Alex Stein made an impressive shot, bringing the score to 40:35, prompting Slaven Rimac to call a timeout. The score was tied at 41:41 at halftime after Toni Perkovic made a floater at the buzzer.
Aranitovic continued where he left off. Perkovic then hit Radovcic in a delicate spot, earning a technical foul. The same player made a three-pointer in the next possession. Sullivan and Funderburk played well, contributing points from the free-throw line. Tomislav Buljan scored with a foul, converting the free throw, making it 53:53. Then, the “Cibosi” went on a brilliant run, taking a seven-point lead into the final quarter.
Ivan Perasovic made a crucial three-pointer for a ten-point lead. Majcunic did the same, and the Cibona scored in transition for a 15-point lead. Mustapic had a phenomenal role in this part of the game, and his quick five points extended Cibona lead to plus 17. Split tried to bring the game back to a tie, but time ran out. Cibona celebrated with a final score of 81:73.
The standout performer for Cibona was Aleksandar Aranitovic, who scored 19 points, followed by Mustapic with 15 and Buljan with 12. On the other side, Sullivan stood out with 13 points. Cibona will face Igokea in the next round, while Split will play against Mega.