HBK Prievidza delivered one of the most complete road performances of their early-season schedule, dismantling Samobor 103–83 in a FIBA Europe Cup qualifying-round clash played on Thursday. The Slovak visitors piled up 55 first-half points, built a lead that touched 26 in the third quarter, and never allowed the Croatian hosts to mount anything resembling a sustained comeback.

The 20-point margin tells only part of the story. Prievidza led for all but the opening 90 seconds, shot with unusual efficiency from beyond the arc, and controlled the defensive glass so thoroughly that Samobor's second-chance opportunities dried up almost entirely after the first quarter.

Match Overview: Quarter-by-Quarter

• First quarter: Samobor 22 – 27 Prievidza
• Second quarter: Samobor 19 – 28 Prievidza
• Halftime: Samobor 41 – 55 Prievidza
• Third quarter: Samobor 21 – 25 Prievidza
• Fourth quarter: Samobor 21 – 23 Prievidza
• Final: Samobor 83 – 103 Prievidza

The decisive stretch arrived late in the second period. With Samobor within eight points at 38–30, Prievidza closed the half on a 25–11 surge, turning a competitive contest into a procession before the teams reached the locker room.

How Prievidza Took Control

Prievidza's game plan was simple and ruthlessly executed: push the tempo off every defensive rebound, hunt early three-point attempts in transition, and force Samobor's half-court offence into late-clock decisions. The visitors finished with five players in double figures, an indicator of how evenly the scoring load was shared across the rotation.

Slovak guard Jakub Mokráň set the tone with 19 points and seven assists, repeatedly breaking down Samobor's on-ball defence and kicking out to shooters on the weak side. Forward Martin Bílik added 18 points and nine rebounds, while American import Darius Coleman chipped in 16, including four three-pointers that punctured every mini-run the hosts attempted.

For Samobor, Luka Novaković led all scorers for the losing side with 21 points, supported by Marko Barišić's 15. But the Croatian club's offence grew increasingly one-dimensional as the game wore on, settling for contested mid-range jumpers and shooting just 8-of-29 from deep.

Key Moments

• Q1 6:40 – Coleman's back-to-back triples turn a 9–7 deficit into a 13–9 Prievidza lead the visitors would never surrender.
• Q2 3:10 – The defining run: a 14–2 burst capped by a Mokráň floater pushes the margin from eight to twenty.
• Q3 5:25 – Bílik's put-back dunk extends the lead to 26 (72–46), the largest of the night.
• Q4 6:00 – Samobor's 11–0 spurt briefly cuts the deficit to 15, but Prievidza answers with seven straight points to close the door.

Tactical Story

Samobor's coaching staff switched to a zone defence early in the second quarter in an attempt to slow the tempo, but the move backfired badly. Prievidza attacked the zone with high-post entries and skip passes, generating open corner looks on four consecutive possessions. When Samobor returned to man-to-man, they found themselves chasing a double-digit deficit and an opponent content to trade baskets.

Rebounding proved the quieter battleground. Prievidza won the boards 42–31 and limited Samobor to just six offensive rebounds, effectively removing the put-back points that often keep home teams afloat in European competition.

What the Result Means

With the qualifying tie played across two legs, Prievidza carry a commanding 20-point cushion into the return fixture, where they will be heavy favourites to progress. A 100-point road performance in continental play also signals genuine offensive depth, something that will matter once the group phase begins.

For Samobor, the defeat is a harsh lesson about the cost of cold shooting at this level. They will need a near-perfect shooting night in the second leg — and a dramatic defensive turnaround — to keep their FIBA Europe Cup campaign alive.

Players to Watch Going Forward

• Jakub Mokráň (Prievidza): The engine of the offence, equally dangerous as a scorer and a creator.
• Darius Coleman (Prievidza): A perimeter threat whose spacing makes Prievidza's inside game work.
• Luka Novaković (Samobor): Showed he can score against European defences; needs more help around him.

Samobor remain a dangerous home side on their day, but the second leg now demands a performance far removed from this one. Prievidza, meanwhile,