Dubrava upsets Cibona in city derby: Third straight loss for the Wolves

In the final city derby of the calendar year, held at the packed Boško Božić-Pepsi arena, KK Dubrava secured a significant 81-75 victory over KK Cibona. The hosts were looking for redemption after their loss to Zadar, but Dubrava’s clinical performance in the first half proved to be insurmountable for the "Wolves."

Dubrava’s dominant first half

The game started competitively, but Dubrava quickly seized the momentum. Gnjidić and Perković led the guests to a 16:20 lead after the first quarter. The second period was a disaster for Cibona, as they managed to score only 7 points while allowing 22. Wright and Gnjidić dictated the pace, leading Dubrava to a massive 23:42 advantage at halftime.

Cibona’s late rally falls short

In the second half, Ivan Rudež's squad showed more energy. Roberson and Palokaj tried to close the gap, but Dubrava always had an answer. Entering the final quarter down by 18 points (45:63), Cibona finally found their rhythm. Lončar was pivotal in cutting the lead down to single digits in the closing minutes.

A late surge saw Cibona trail by just five points (69:74) after a basket by Bart. However, clutch free throws and key points by Šabić and Schwartz sealed the win for the visitors. Late three-pointers by Hepa and Radovčić came too late to change the final outcome.

Coach and player reactions

Ivan Rudež (Cibona head coach): "We are experiencing mental blocks. Our turnovers are the product of total lack of concentration. We are Cibona and we must learn to carry the burden of being favorites because everyone enjoys seeing us bleed".

Krešimir Radovčić (Cibona captain): "We weren't at the required level from the start. We struggled in 1-on-1 defense and our offense was stagnant. We need to get back to the gym and work harder".

The top performers were Wright with 23 points for Dubrava and Roberson with 15 points for Cibona.

The statistics can be viewed HERE.