Cedevita Zagreb opened its Belgrade NIJT Qualifying Tournament campaign in style, defeating Partizan NIS Belgrade 52-69. Cedevita took the lead for good late in the second quarter, and used a 0-14 run at the start of the third to open up a double-digit lead and cruise to victory. Lovro Mazalin paced the winners with 17 points, Ivan Vucic scored 13 in as many minutes, and Luka Zivko had 11 for Cedevita. Milos Gisic amassed 15 points plus 12 rebounds for Partizan, and Nikola Tanaskovic added 9 in defeat.

Mazalin got going early on, but Glisic and Vanja Marinkovic lifted Partizan to a 14-10 lead. Cedevita tied it at 16-16 by the end of the first quarter with baskets from Vucic and Ante Zizic. Partizan mostly held a slim lead thanks to baskets from Dimitrije Spasojevic and Vanja Bojanic. Midway through the second quarter Mazalin nailed a triple, and Cedevita soon put together a 0-7 run, and another jumper from Mazalin gave Cedevita 28-31 halftime lead. Cedevita opened up a big advantage at the start of the third quarter, with Mazalin and Zizic leading the way, before Dragan Bender’s dunk capped a 0-14 run for 30-47. After a triple from Vucic extended it to 32-51, Sava Dukic scored from the distance and Strahinja Stanisic inside for Partizan, but more baskets from Vucic, Zivko and Ivan Zebic made it 42-67 midway through the fourth, and Cedevita closed it out for a big opening win.