WABA 2: Slovenian Teams Dominate in Herceg Novi

The second tournament of the 2026/27 WABA 2 League was played in Herceg Novi. The Slovenian teams, Ilirija and Jezica, put on a dominant performance, defeating both Montenegrin debutants in the competition: the host team, Primorje, and Sea Stars from Tivat

Primorje-Jezica 47-60 (14-15, 10-12, 12-18, 11-15)
Primorje opened its WABA 2 debut with a basket from Abigael Kongolo (190-C-2007) to take an early 2-0 lead. Kongolo later scored to give the home team what would become their second and final lead of the night, 16-15. After a balanced, highly competitive first half that ended with Jezica holding a slim 27-24 lead, the visitors completely paralyzed Primorje's offense.
Between the 22nd and 34th minutes, Primorje managed to score only once from the field. Their offensive struggles were further compounded by a disastrous 3-point shooting performance, finishing 1-of-18 (6%) from behind the arc. The more experienced team from Ljubljana took full advantage of this drought, building a comfortable 43-28 lead.
Primorje showed signs of life early in the final quarter, mounting a run to cut the deficit to 45-39. However, shooting woes returned to haunt the hosts. Primorje struggled to find the basket, converting only four field goals in the second half, which allowed Jezica to close out the game comfortably.
Stasa Belc (168-G-2008) led the winning side with a game-high 20 points, supported by Julija Pokleka (182-F-2006) and Manca Marolt (179-SG-2005), who added 13 points each, with Marolt also pulling down 12 rebounds.
For Primorje, Mondrea Williams (180-F-2002, college: KSU) scored 12 points, while Abigael Kongolo finished with 9 points and 13 rebounds.

Primorje-Ilirija 63-86 (12-27, 15-21, 25-16, 11-22)
Primorje's Anja Adzic (176-PG-2009) 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 (182-F/C-2008) 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 (175-G-2004) 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 (168-PG, college: UNC Asheville) 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.

Sea Stars-Jezica 62-95 (21-25, 19-18, 9-26, 13-26)
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.
Jezica displayed an incredibly balanced offensive attack, with five players scoring in double digits. Julija Pokleka and Lena Ivanusa (183-F-2008) 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 (172-G-2005) 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 (170-G-2003, college: St.Anselm), who played nearly the entire game and poured in a game-high 26 points, plus 7 assists and 4 steals. Vanja Kaludjerovic (172-G-2008) added 17 points, and Delaney Yarborough (190-C-2004, college: UMBC) finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Ultimately, Jezica's superior shooting accuracy53% 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.

Sea Stars-Ilirija 72-83 (20-25, 11-17, 16-16, 25-25)
The opening minutes saw a highly competitive exchange, with Sea Stars briefly holding an edge. The Montenegrin debutants led 15-14 midway through the first quarter, the last time Ilirija trailed all game. Following that final deficit, Ilirija found their rhythm. Tightening their defense and pushing the pace, Ilirija established a comfortable double-digit lead before the main break, heading into halftime up 42-29.
Despite the structural deficit, Sea Stars refused to back down in the second half. Fueled by heavy scoring from their key players, the hosts consistently chipped away at the gap. Midway through the final period, they put significant pressure on the Slovenian side, shrinking the deficit to a single-digit gap at 73-66.
As momentum swung toward the home crowd, Tina Tomsic took over. She cooled off the furious comeback by scoring a crucial two-pointer, then immediately followed it with two back-to-back three-pointers. This scoring burst pushed the lead out of reach and sealed Ilirija's victory.
Tina Tomsic finished the match with 16 points and 4 rebounds. Modric contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds. Ilirija also saw double-digit scoring from Sara Dolenc (170-G/F-2003) (11 points) and Brina Sedminek (173-PG-2007, agency: LBM Management) (10 points, 8 assists).
For Sea Stars, guard Tatum Forbes played the entire 40 minutes, leading all scorers with 26 points, alongside 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Vanja Kaludjerovic put up an equally impressive performance, also playing the full 40 minutes to log 24 points, including four made three-pointers. Center Delaney Yarborough dominated the glass with 15 rebounds and 7 points.
The decisive factor in the game lay in Ilirija's outside shooting and deeper scoring rotation, draining 13 three-pointers at a 39% clip to answer every push by the Montenegrin side.