SC Derby get their second straight win after beating Cibona

AdmiralBet ABA League Round 17, Sunday, 19 January 2025:

SC DERBY - Cibona 101:86 (28:14, 20:24, 21:23, 32:25)

PHOTO GALLERY
POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: In Round 17 of the AdmiralBet ABA League, SC Derby faced off against Cibona. SC Derby won decisively, ending the game at 101-86.

The game began with a strong performance from SC Derby, who quickly built a sizeable lead. Their effective shooting, particularly from the 3-point range, allowed them to pull ahead early. Cibona struggled to find their rhythm, falling behind as SC Derby's Erick Neal and Luka Bogavac delivered big baskets. Cibona attempted to rally back, showing moments of resilience with key contributions from Vuković and Smajlagić. Despite this effort, SC Derby maintained control, supported by their aggressive offensive plays and solid defense.

Key moments: Late in the third quarter Cibona cut the SC Derby lead down to 2 with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter and it seemed that a close fourth quarter was ahead of us. In the final 45 seconds SC Derby responded well, they went on a quick 6:0 run to end the third quarter with an 8-point lead. They continued their run at the start of the fourth quarter, it ended at 17:2 as SC Derby got their biggest lead of the game and with this run, they locked up the win. 

Man of the Match: Erick Neal had a double-double leading SC Derby to an important home win against Cibona. Neal finished the game with 18 points on 8/10 shooting while dishing out 11 assists and getting 2 steals. 

Can't trick the stats: Turnovers were a big issue for Cibona tonight. SC Derby forced 14 Cibona turnovers while the hosts had just 8. This led to more possessions for SC Derby tonight and also led them to outscore Cibona on the fast break at 22:11.