Cibona beat Istanbul giants Galatasaray 96-76 in front of nearly 2,000 fans to open their Champions League campaign

Zagreb, 6 October 2026 – Cibona beat Istanbul giants Galatasaray MCT Technic 96-76 at Dražen Petrović Hall in front of nearly 2,000 spectators in Round 1 of Group B of the Basketball Champions League. It was a successful start to their campaign in a competition they are returning to after a ten-year absence.

The game began on level terms, with the first quarter ending 24-24, and the visitors briefly led early on (8-4). Cibona found its first real momentum in the second quarter, winning it 26-18 to go into the break eight points up (50-42). The hosts held that lead through the third quarter (21-19, 71-61). In the final period, after Galatasaray cut the deficit to 81-69, Cibona closed the game out with a 15-7 run to reach the final margin of 20 points. Cibona led for 33 minutes and 19 seconds in total, while Galatasaray led for just over two minutes.

Cibona started with Rickey McGill, Khalif Battle, Renato Serdarušić, Lovro Mazalin and Kamaka Hepa. Galatasaray, coached by Gianmarco Pozzecco, opened with Şehmus Hazer, Nikola Ivanović, Dyshawn Pierre, Chimezie Metu and Oumar Ballo.

The win was led by an incredible Khalif Battle, who scored 32 points (11/15 from the field, 6/7 from three, 4/5 from the free-throw line) and added five assists. Rok Badžim scored 19 points, hitting five of his six three-pointers, and Lovro Mazalin added 18 points on 9/11 shooting, with five assists and three steals. Kamaka Hepa contributed 12 points, and although Rickey McGill scored only four, his six assists and three steals made him one of the key figures in Cibona's ball movement. For Galatasaray, Aleksej Nikolić and Alen Smailagić scored 13 points each (Smailagić also grabbed nine rebounds), Buğrahan Tuncer had 11 and Chimezie Metu 10.

Cibona won it largely through efficient offence and solid defence. The hosts shot 55.1% from the field (38/69) and an outstanding 60.9% from three (14/23), while Galatasaray shot 30.8% from deep (8/26). Cibona dished out 21 assists against just nine turnovers (Galatasaray had 16) and made 10 steals, which produced 16 points off turnovers (Galatasaray 7). The hosts also dominated in fast-break points (18-6), points in the paint (42-26) and efficiency per possession (1.37 to 1.09).

"This was an important win for us at the start of the Champions League, and also for the club in terms of ranking. We talked about this being an anniversary of us playing Galatasaray. The last time was in 1986, right? Against a roster as powerful as Galatasaray's, we needed to show up with a high level of energy and extreme activity in defence, to deny them easy opportunities: Ballo's sealing, the post-up game of Smailagić and Metu. It wasn't easy for our guys, but we pulled it off. We showed character, and I would say emotional stability in how to control the paint in certain situations. And of course, a good shooting night was the result of our defensive connectivity. It was a big win for us, but we move on, as you know we play in three competitions. We have our next game already on Friday. We'll enjoy the moment for sure, but tomorrow our thoughts will be fully on the Premijer League," said Cibona head coach Ivan Rudež.

"I think we needed this, not just for the standings, but definitely for the confidence of our team. Guys stepped up big time: big shots, big second-chance points, big rebounds. We were active with our hands, with plenty of deflections. I think we took a major step in the right direction, and it's more than just a testament to how hard we've been working, especially with coach pushing us every day in practice," said Cibona's Khalif Battle.

"First of all, congratulations to coach Rudež and all the Cibona staff and players. You played a great game, shooting around 60% from three, and you were focused both defensively and offensively. You played with energy and you deserved to beat us by 20 points. It's the first time in my life that my team didn't play with energy," said Galatasaray head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.

Cibona opened their Group B campaign with a win; their opponents also include Legia Warsaw and Strasbourg, and Ivan Rudež's team enter the next round with a 1-0 record. The Zagreb club is competing on three fronts in the 2026/27 season: the SuperSport Premijer League (2-0), the AdmiralBet ABA League (0-1) and the Basketball Champions League.