BK REDSTONE Olomoucko – Nutrispoint Ilirija 69:78 (14:19, 15:14, 12:23, 28:22)
Referees: Dousek, Turčin, Stopka (Slovakia)
Attendance: 500
Venue: Cajkarena, Olomouc
Scorers – Olomoucko: Kněžević 16, Feštr 15, Klepač, Williams and Welsch each 9, Halada 6, Tkadlec 3, Skalička 2
Scorers – Ilirija: Arslanagić 21, Kmetić 13, Daneu 12, Klobučar 11, Pajić 10, Mikuš 6, Orel 5
Olomoucko quickly took a 4:0 lead, but the guests immediately showed with a streak of eight points in a row, that they didn’t just come for a trip. The Slovenian team played with the ease that benefits the young team and quietly started to lose points to the home team. Elite scorer of Ilirija Klobučar had the greatest credit for this, as he scored eight points in the first quarter. In the course of the 9th minute, the “Hanáci” were already losing 11:19, and by the end of the quarter they erased three points from their loss (14:19). In the second part of the duel, the home shooters struggled. Between the 11th and 16th minute, they burdened the opponent’s account with only five points, lost 19:24 and did not have a single successful three-pointer on their account. Then they improved after all, converting several quick attacks. They got closer to their opponent by 29:33, and were losing only four points before the second half.
The entry into the third quarter of Olomoucko did not work at all. Ilirija used windows in the home defense and built a big lead with a series of fourteen points in a row. REDSTONE was even lossing 31:50 in the 25th minute, but then managed to recover and reduce the difference to nine points. However, his onslaught did not last long, he was stopped by Pajič with six points in a row, and ten minutes before the end, the visitors were closer with a lead of 56:41. The players of Olomoucko did not want to put up with the unfavorable situation and in the 36th minute came close to 56:63 with 3-pointer of Feštr. A minute later, they were only losing six points, but the opponent did not allow them more, they took back the double-digit lead, and in the end, the home team did not allow any more lead.
Post-game quotes:
Tihomir Bujan, coach of Olomoucko: “We were noticeably missing the injured Moten, Kněževič started without training after coming back from a layoff, and all of that had an effect on the result. It wasn’t good in attack, but we were only four points behind at half time. In the locker room, we said what we wanted to play, but it remained only in words. Playmaker Arslanagič, whom I know from the Croatian league, played for Ilirija for the first time. He led the team brilliantly, he was the main driver and we couldn’t keep him off the ball.”
Jakub Skalička, player of Olomoucko: “We struggled unbelievably, especially at the beginning of the second half, the opponent outplayed us and gained a double-digit lead. The Slovenians have a young team with very skilled players and they showed that here. They made four difficult three-pointers at important moments and that’s where the result was decided.”
Stipe Modrić, coach of Ilirija: “We played a good game, especially on defense. The opponent managed to stop us under our basket. We got a few points and in attack our team it was a bit better. Then decided the start of the second half. We developed a decisive lead. Arsanaglič gave a quality performance, leading his teammates.”
Primož Kmetić, player of Ilirija: “We got off to a good start, that calmed the team down. In the third quarter, we managed to convert a few long shots that meant a big lead. In the end, we took care of the lead.”
