Cibona defeats Cedevita Olimpija at Stožice

On Monday, September 14, Cibona defeated Cedevita Olimpija 72–71 at Stožice Arena in Ljubljana, securing a valuable away victory in one of the final preseason games ahead of the new season.

The game was closely contested from the opening tip. Cibona made the better start and led 17–11 after the first quarter, but the hosts raised their intensity and won the second quarter 23–12 to take the lead. The Vukovi responded with a strong third quarter, winning the period 22–18 and putting themselves back in contention for the victory.

In an exciting finish, Cedevita Olimpija briefly regained the lead after consecutive three-pointers from Miha Cerkvenik and Derim Can Üstün. Cibona, however, managed to regain and hold the advantage until the final buzzer. A potential game-tying shot from home captain Jaka Blažič in the final seconds missed the rim, confirming Cibona’s 72–71 victory.

For Olimpija, who were without head coach Zvezdan Mitrović and were led by assistant coach Đorđe Adžić, Anthony Cowan Jr. was the top scorer with 14 points, followed by Noah Kirkwood with 13 and Jayce Johnson with 10.

The victory over the reigning Slovenian champions comes at the end of a demanding preseason for Cibona ahead of the 2026/27 season, in which the club will compete in three competitions – the SuperSport Premier League, AdmiralBet ABA League and Basketball Champions League.

Cibona will open its competitive season on Sunday, September 27, with an away game against Alkar in Sinj.