By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Virtus opened 2026 with a victory, defeating Olimpia Milano 97-85 in Bologna, in the Italian EuroLeague derby.
Matt Morgan led the winning team with 22 points (five threes) and six assists, Derrick Alston Jr. was excellent with 20, while Karim Jallow scored 12. The two compensated for Mouhamet Diouf’s absence from this match.
On the other side, Josh Nebo had 15 points for Milano, Zach Leday had 14, Devin Booker finished the game with 12, and Marko Guduric added 11 with four rebounds and four assists, as did Shavon Shields.
The match started brilliantly for the visitors, who led by a huge 13 points after the first quarter (27-14). However, Virtus fought back to tie by halftime with a 16-1 run in the middle of the second quarter (47-47).
Riding on their strong second-quarter play, Virtus carried the momentum into the second half, with Alston and Morgan being unstoppable, quickly building a double-digit lead that broke the game and handed their biggest rival a third straight elite loss.
Both teams are now tied at 9-10, sharing 11th place on the EuroLeague table. Next round, Virtus hosts Zalgiris in Bologna, while Olimpia Milano faces Panathinaikos in Athens.