The Wolves Bite Back

Heart rates spiked. The arena shook. Cibona didn't just beat Split; they survived a war. The final buzzer sounded at 78-76, sealing a place in the Croatian League final and shattering a three-year streak of Dalmatian dominance. The Wolves are back in the big dance.

Justin Roberson was the engine, pouring in 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Luka Skorić added 15, Markus Lončar 14, and Žan Mark Šiško orchestrated the offense with 13 points, 11 assists, and seven boards. For Split, Dario Drežnjak fought hard with a game-high 24 points, while Demajeo Wiggins chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds, though his 3-for-13 shooting from the line hurt their chances.

Final Minute Madness

It came down to seconds. With 70 seconds left, Cibona led 74-73. Split called timeout and struck first—Wiggins laid it in to take the lead. But for just ten seconds. Jan Palokaj answered with a three-pointer, swinging the lead back to the hosts.

Glenn Cosey missed a potential go-ahead three for Split. Palokaj drew a foul with 17.6 seconds remaining, making one of two free throws to push it to 78-75. Drežnjak missed a tying three, grabbed an offensive board, but chaos ensued. A foul on Anton Jordan led to a made first free throw and an intentional miss on the second. Drežnjak couldn't secure the rebound. The Wolves held on.

Split led for over 30 minutes but fell short. They remain at 12 finals with one title. Cibona enters their 28th final, hunting their 21st championship.

Cibona Split Dražen Petrović Arena