WABA 2: Dominant UBI Graz Cruise, Maribor Edge Ilirija in Thriller

The 2026/27 WABA 2 League season tipped off with an action-packed opening tournament, headlined by UBI Graz’s dominant performance and a thrilling Slovenian derby.

Austria’s UBI Graz put on a basketball masterclass, overwhelming Rudar 1903 with an authoritative 81-59 victory fueled by exceptional chemistry and paint dominance.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated local rivalry saw Maribor pull off a late-game surge to hand the reigning champions, Ilirija, a heartbreaking 59-53 defeat in a tightly contested battle.

 

2026-27 WABA 2 League

Saturday, September 26 (Graz/Raiffesen Sportpark)

UBI Graz-Rudar 1903 81-59 (21-15, 22-13, 22-15, 16-16)   FULL STATS   FULL GAME VIDEO

UBI Graz put on a basketball masterclass, securing a commanding 81-59 victory over Rudar 1903. The Austrian team showcased exceptional chemistry and physical dominance in the paint, overwhelming Rudar 1903 from the opening whistle.

The Austrian team set the tone early in the first half. After shaking off an early three-pointer from Rudar’s Marija Cvijovic, UBI Graz unleashed an unanswered 8-1 scoring run. Khrystyna Kulesha and Simone Sill proved unstoppable inside the key, punishing Rudar’s defense and pushing Graz to a comfortable 43-28 halftime lead.

UBI Graz completely blew the game open in the third quarter. Effective ball movement allowed Jade Hill and Eni Nizamic to drain crucial shots from beyond the arc, stretching the lead past 20. Despite a late fourth-quarter surge from Rudar’s Natalija Spaic (18 points) and Cvijovic, UBI Graz maintained total control. Coach Petricevic used her deep bench to keep the defensive energy high, sealing a comprehensive 22-point win.

UBI Graz relied heavily on inside scoring and aggressive rebounding. Khrystyna Kulesha led the way with a phenomenal double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and earned the highest efficiency rating of the match (24). Simone Sill complemented her perfectly, shooting 78% from the 2-point range to add 20 points, plus 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Nikolina Pelemis (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Jade Hill (9 points, 7 assists) also contributed to keep the offense flowing, while Eni Nizamic dominated the glass with 10 rebounds and 7 points.

The statistical comparison highlights exactly where UBI Graz won the battle. The Austrian side completely dominated the paint, shooting 47% from the 2-point range (23/49) compared to Rudar’s struggling 29% (9/31). Furthermore, Graz controlled the boards, out-rebounding their opponents 53 to 40 and limiting Rudar’s second-chance opportunities.

Rudar 1903 tried to stay in the game through Natalija Spaic, who scored a team-high 18 points, and Ajsa Hadzic and Jana Velickovic, who each contributed 10 points. However, their 27% accuracy from beyond the arc and struggles inside the key were not enough to disrupt UBI Graz’s rhythm.

 

 

Ilirija-Maribor 53-59 (17-13, 10-10. 14-17, 12-17)   FULL STATS   FULL GAME VIDEO

In a tightly contested Slovenian derby during the opening tournament of the 2026/27 WABA 2 League, Ilirija suffered a heartbreaking 53-59 defeat against regional rivals Maribor. Despite holding a lead midway through the final period, Ilirija could not withstand Maribor’s late surge, fueled by crucial turnovers and second-chance opportunities.

The game pitted contrasting styles against each other. Ilirija displayed incredible discipline drawing fouls and executing at the charity stripe, finishing the game a flawless 100% (13-of-13) from the free-throw line.

However, Maribor found their rhythm inside the arc, shooting an impressive 69% (18-of-26) on two-pointers and outrebounding Ilirija 35 to 25. This rebounding advantage, particularly the 11 offensive boards grabbed by Maribor, proved to be the deciding factor in giving the visitors extra possessions.

Ilirija entered the fourth quarter with momentum and looked poised to control the game. A traditional three-point play by Laura Medeot and a driving layup by Lena Trantura put Ilirija up 46-42. When Ela Modric calmly sank two free throws at 34:40, Ilirija held a promising 50-42 advantage.

However, Maribor responded with an aggressive defensive press that forced multiple costly turnovers. A critical three-pointer by Jelena Grujic sparked a devastating 17-3 closing run for the visitors. Ilirija briefly stopped the bleeding when Brina Sedminek hit a clutch three-pointer to make it 53-50 with just two and a half minutes remaining.

Unfortunately, that would be Ilirija’s final score of the night. Maribor capitalized on consecutive steals from Lana Iseinoski and Anais Gobec, while Veronika Ferjancic’s offensive rebounds sealed the game at the free-throw line, ending the match with a 53-59 victory for Maribor.

Lena Trantura led Ilirija’s scoring against her former team, putting up 10 points and being efficient inside, hitting 4 of her 8 two-point attempts. Tina Tomsic added 9 points, including two crucial shots from beyond the arc, while Hana Sambolic contributed 7 points. Off the bench, Ela Modric provided high energy, recording 4 points and 4 rebounds for an efficiency rating of 9, matching Laura Medeot’s strong individual performance of 5 points and 3 rebounds.

Maribor was propelled by an outstanding, full-40-minute performance from Hana Jerkovic, who paved the way with a game-high 15 points. Jelena Grujic also scored in double digits with 10 points, while Anais Gobec made a massive impact off the bench, flirting with a double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds, and finishing with a game-high efficiency rating of 18.

 

Sunday, September 27 (Graz/Raiffeisen Sportpark)

Maribor-Rudar 1903   11.00 CET   LIVE STATS   LIVE STREAM

UBI Graz-Ilirija 13.03 CET   LIVE STATS   LIVE STREAM