Dubai Basketball continued their dream start to life as they snatched a second successive win to extend their impressive form in the ABA League.
The newly created team got the better of Slovenian side Cedevita Olimpija 92-84, with their captain Klemen Prepelic (23) and Nate Mason (20) topping the scoring charts at the Stozice Arena in Ljubljana on Sunday.
The success marked the team's first victory on the road and followed last weekend's stunning upset of defending champions Red Star from Serbia in front of a near sellout 4,761 fans at the 5,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena.
A delighted Dubai BC head coach Jurica Golemac was full of praise for his players after a win that provides further proof they are ready to mix it with the teams at the top of the division.
“It was a dominant game. We controlled it for 35 to 37 minutes and the players stuck to everything we agreed on,” Golemac said.
“Cedevita Olimpija is a difficult opponent so we knew we had to be very energetic, maintain a very high intensity, which is difficult to do for 40 minutes.
“Overall, I am satisfied. When we saw the games schedule, everyone said let's go and win the first two which we have done. We all want to be very competitive and aggressive and not think about being beaten.”
Prepelic, playing in his native city, was named player of the match for his 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals as he led his team towards a precious road win. Mason (20 and 7 assists) and Isaiah Taylor (10) also hit double figures.
Prepelic opened the game with a jump shot and added to his tally with two free throws to give Dubai an early lead. Despite the hosts levelling the score, Dubai’s captain added to his points tally with a 7-4 run, before taking complete control of the game.
Olimpija had no answer for Mason, who put up eight first-quarter points, extending the lead to 29-17. The momentum didn’t stop there as the visitors went into half-time with a healthy 63-42 advantage.
After scoring 20 points in the third quarter, Dubai rallied to hold off Olimpija, with Prepelic and Williams adding to the team’s tally to secure the win – a result that has shaken up the league with the newcomers enjoying an incredible start to their debut season.
“We have high ambitions. I told my players in the locker room that 'small games are the biggest games',” Golemac added.
“We have played these two games where we were not favourites, now we have Mega then Borac Cacak next and we need to rest and work well in training for those games.”
Golemac’s men will be in action for a third successive weekend when they host Serbia’s Mega MIS on Saturday at Coca-Cola Arena (7pm) when another bumper home crowd is expected.
Dubai BC assembled a 12-member squad in just over three months with players from nine countries – Croatia, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Serbia, Slovenia, the Philippines, Turkey, and USA. Results suggest they have gelled rather quickly.
