Any hope for Mornar to continue in the AdmiralBet ABA League seems to have faded following yet another significant loss.

Mornar suffered an easy defeat against Cibona (82:64), a crucial contender for survival, who now boasts three additional victories and a superior head-to-head record should both teams finish the regular season with similar results.

The reality for Mornar is that they are unlikely to advance beyond their single victory (achieved against Cibona in Bar), as they faced their 15th consecutive defeat in Zagreb, marking a total of 21 losses this season.

Mihailo Pavićević’s team got off to a poor start at Dražen’s home, trailing by 18 points midway through the second quarter at 31:13.

However, the end of that period saw a slight recovery for Barani, reducing the deficit to a manageable eight points at halftime (33:25). They even closed it to within two, but as has often been the case, Mornar’s performance dipped, allowing the former European champions to stretch the lead to 20 in just a few minutes, ultimately sealing the game.

“I congratulate Cibona on a thoroughly deserved victory. They approached this match with great determination, which was in stark contrast to my team’s performance,” commented Pavićević.

Noah Tomason was Mornar’s standout player with 21 points, while Lovro Buljević added 19 points and 11 rebounds; their efforts, however, were insufficient. Ivan Perasović led Cibona with 22 points.

“We played as if this wasn’t a critical match. I fear I may be asking too much from my players, even as I strive to simplify our strategy. Clearly, they are unable to meet these expectations,” Pavićević remarked.

CIBONA – MORNAR 82:64 (22:9, 11:16, 19:18, 30:21)

Zagreb – Basketball center Dražen Petrović. Attendance: 300. Officials: Obrknežević, Arsenijević, Milojević (Serbia).

Cibona: Vuković 8 (2-2), Ročak 3 (2-1), RADOVČIĆ 11 (4-1), Aranitović 4, Perasović 22 (2-1), SKORIC 7, Bundović 8 (3-2), SMAJLAGIC 6 (2-1), Majcunic 3, DZOK 3, Bart 5, RIKIC 2 (2-2).

Sailor: ROGIC 2, TOMASON 21 (9-7), Ćubić 3, RUNJIC 5, BULJEVIC 19 (7-4), SMIT 8 (4-3), Pember 4 (2-1), Komnenović 2, Bulatović, Peković.

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