BCL: Khalif Malik Battle shines as Cibona beat Galatasaray

Cibona made a spectacular start to their 2026/27 Basketball Champions League campaign, defeating Galatasaray MCT Technic 96:76 at the Dražen Petrović Basketball Center in Zagreb.

The two sides were level at 24:24 after an entertaining opening quarter, but Cibona took control before halftime. The hosts won the second period 26:18 to establish a 50:42 halftime advantage, before continuing to dictate the game after the break.

Cibona stretched their advantage further in the third quartervand entered the final ten minutes with a double-digit lead at 71:61. There was no way back for Galatasaray from there. Cibona saved another strong push for the fourth quarter, outscoring the visitors 25:15 to turn an impressive performance into a convincing 20-point victory.

Khalif Malik Battle produced a sensational performance, finishing with a game-high 32 points and 5 assists. He was incredibly efficient from the field, shooting 11/15 overall and an outstanding 6/7 from three-point range. Roko Badžim provided another major contribution with 19 points, including 5/6 from beyond the arc, while Lovro Mazalin added 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Cibona's outside shooting proved particularly damaging, with the Zagreb side knocking down 14 three-pointers on their way to 96 points.

Igokea m:tel opened their 2026/27 Basketball Champions League campaign with a 79:92 home defeat against Surne Bilbao. The Spanish side took control early, winning the opening quarter 28:21 and extending the gap to 50:35 by halftime. Igokea improved after the break, but could not pull off a second half comeback.

2026/27 Basketball Champions League, Regular Season, Round 1, Tuesday, October 6, 2026:

CIBONA – Galatasaray MCT Technic 96:76 (24:24, 26:18, 21:19, 25:15)
Battle 32, Badžim 19 | Smailagic 13, Tuncer 11.

Igokea m:tel – SURNE BILBAO 79:92 (21:28, 14:22, 21:22, 23:20)
Stefanović 17, Lazić 13 | Vautier 19, Krampelj 12.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026:

Spartak Office Shoes – RASTA Vechta (20:00)