WABA 2: Slovenian Dominance on Day 2 in Herceg Novi
The second day of the WABA 2 tournament in Herceg Novi brought complete success for Slovenian women’s basketball. Both Slovenian representatives, Jezica and Ilirija, secured convincing victories over the Montenegrin debutants, Sea Stars and Primorje.
2026-27 WABA 2 League
Saturday, October 17 (Herceg Novi/SRC Igalo)
Primorje-Ilirija 63-86 (12-27, 15-21, 25-16, 11-22) FULL STATS GALLERY FULL GAME VIDEO
Primorje’s Anja Adzic opened the match with a quick basket, giving the hosts an early lead. Remarkably, this became Primorje’s only lead. Ilirija immediately seized control, responding with 7 consecutive points. This spark turned into a devastating 17-4 run, leaving the home debutants searching for answers. Guided by a lethal offense, Ilirija extended their gap to a commanding 29-12 lead early in the second quarter.
By the middle of the third quarter, the game looked entirely out of reach for the Montenegrin team. Ilirija cruised with a massive 26-point cushion (64-38), seemingly heading toward a comfortable blowout.
However, Primorje refused to back down. Between the 26th and 31st minutes, the hosts put together an incredible, unanswered 18-0 run. Capitalizing on Ilirija’s sudden offensive blackout and turnovers, Primorje cut the deficit to a single-digit lead and sent a wave of energy through the home crowd.
As the pressure mounted, coach Ernest Novak’s squad showed their composure. Ilirija halted their dry spell with a mirroring masterpiece, roaring back to a 14-0 run of their own. Pushing the score quickly to 86-61, they completely neutralized Primorje’s late-game ambitions.
Ela Modric drove Ilirija with an extraordinary, near-flawless performance, earning a towering efficiency rating of 41. Modric scored 19 points, shot a perfect 4-4 from inside the arc, hit 2-2 from three, and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double. Tina Tomsic led the Slovenians with 24 points, shooting an impressive 4-5 from three-point range.
For Primorje, center Abigael Kongolo dominated the paint, recording a monster double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Anja Adzic contributed 15 points, while American guard Alana Swift added 10 points in the losing effort.
The final statistical difference came down to shooting efficiency. Meanwhile, Primorje shot only 20% from three (2-10); Ilirija drained 11 three-pointers (39%) and hit a stellar 62% from two to secure the well-earned win.
Dragan Prga, Head Coach of Primorje:
Slavko Duscak, Head Coach of Jezica:
Sea Stars-Jezica 62-95 (21-25, 19-18, 9-26, 13-26) FULL STATS GALLERYFULL GAME VIDEO
The opening two quarters saw a fierce, back-and-forth exchange. Sea Stars stayed hot on the heels of the Ljubljana-based team, refusing to let them establish a significant lead. Although Jezica held a slight, narrow advantage throughout the first half, the Montenegrin newcomers looked fully capable of pulling off an upset, trailing by just a few possessions at halftime.
The dynamic completely shifted right after the intermission. Jezica emerged from the locker room with high-intensity defense and flawless execution, opening the third quarter with a devastating 10-0 unanswered run to take a 53-42 lead.
From there, Slovenian team team never looked back. Whenever Sea Stars attempted to piece together a response, Jezica countered with similar scoring bursts.
The definitive factor in the contest was the stark contrast in team depth. Jezica’s second unit completely dominated the game, with bench players contributing a massive 39 points. By comparison, the Sea Stars bench rotation struggled to find its rhythm, chipping in only 8 points. This depth let Jezica maintain a relentless pace that eventually wore down the short-handed Montenegrin side.
Jezica displayed an incredibly balanced offensive attack, with five players scoring in double digits. Julija Pokleka and Lena Eva Ivanusa led the scoring with 15 points each, with Ivanusa putting up a highly efficient performance off the bench (3-3 from two-point range, 3-5 from three). Stasa Belc added 14 points, while Ana Milovanova chipped in 12 on a perfect 3-3 shooting night. Manca Marolt anchored the paint, finishing with a strong double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sea Stars leaned heavily on starting guard Tatum Forbes, who played nearly the entire game and poured in a game-high 26 points, plus 7 assists and 4 steals. Vanja Kaludjerovic added 17 points, and Delaney Yarborough finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Ultimately, Jezica’s superior shooting accuracy—53% from the two-point range and 47% from behind the arc (9-19)—combined with their overwhelming bench presence, secured a comfortable victory on Day 2.
Sunday, October 18 (Herceg Novi/SRC Igalo)
Sea Stars-Ilirija 11.00 CET LIVE STATS LIVE STREAM
Foto: ŽKK Primorje
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