U-BT Cluj-Napoca won the Romanian Super Cup! The champion en-titre wasted an advantage of 17 points, but resisted after an incredible end of the match

• The confrontation that marked the start of the season 2025-2026 was the one from the Romanian Super Cup, played between the bands that divided their trophies in the season 2024-2025. This is the U-BT Cluj-Napoca, a group that won the 5th consecutive title, and CSO Voluntari, a team that obtained the 3rd Cup of Romania.

• Captain Patrick Richard, who gathered 17 points, 6 recovery, 3 decisive passes and +25 at efficiency, was appointed the final MVP.

The duel in Brasov started with many misses and chances of both parties, but CSO Voluntari was the one who took over the initiative. After 4 verification parties in which he did not practice game formulas suitable for internal competitions, U-BT Cluj-Napoca seemed to need time adaptation to the rule with 2 Romanians permanently on the ground.

The Molină Molină scored the victory basket for U-BT Cluj-Napoca

However, led by Daron Russell, the Romanian champion finished the first quarter in the advantage, 20-19, and gradually took control of the game. Mihai Silvășan's students dominated the second sequence and a good part of the 3rd quarter, Reaching to drive 63-46 after a 3-point 3-point basket.

After this moment, an impressive “remnant” of Dan Ioan's students followed. The difference on the table has become smaller and the end was very tense. CSO Voluntari had the chance to go to the advantage and produce a big surprise, but failed.

In the last minute 25 seconds before the end, Iveren Molinin scored a 3-point basket on the mermaid, the score became 79-75, and the fate of the game was decided. U-BT Cluj-Napoca won 80-75 and secured the first trophy of season 2025-2026: Romanian Super Cup.

The leaders of U-BT Cluj-Napoca were Daron Russell (21 points), Iriverson Molinar (18 points), Patrick Richard (17 points, 6 recovery) and Trey Woodbury (11 points).

On the other side, Lee Skinner (15 decks, 5 resunts) and Sacard Anim (14 points, 4 recovery) were noted.

Final. U-BT Cluj-Napoca-CSO Voluntari, in the final of the Romanian Super Cup: 80-75

End of match. 80-75. U-BT Cluj-Napoca has awarded its Romanian Super Cup again. Iniverson Molinar managed a sensational basket in the last minute of quarter 4, and the Ilfoveni had no way to return.
Min. 38. 76-73. 2 minutes before the end, CSO Voluntari is approaching a single possession of opponents.
Min. 36. 71-66. The duel remains extremely balanced. U-BT no longer manages to distance itself as in quarters 2 and 3.
Min. 33. 69-64. Starting of the decisive act, with many exceptional successes of the players in both camps.
The start of the decisive act. CSO Voluntari returned impressive at the end of the third quarter and keeps hopes at the trophy.

The end of the third quarter. 63-57. After Richard's exit from the field, U-BT did not manage to score and announced one last tense quarter.
Min. 29. 63-55. The indications gave fruit, and CSO Voluntari made a partial of 9-0, after the baskets of Polyak, Barro and Skinner.
Min. 27. 63-46. Captain Richard reaches 11 points marked in the second quarter, John asks for Time-out, and the fans of Cluj who move to Brasov shout “Petrică, Petrică”.
Min. 26. 58-46. Leaded by Richard and Russell, the champion of Romania stays at a comfortable difference compared to the Romanian Cup holder.
Min. 24. 52-44. A debut of the half that resembles a lot with that of the first part. None of the two bands have yet entered the rhythm, recording a series of misses.
The start of the second half. After a first-balanced quarter, U-BT Cluj-Napoca took control of the match and dominated the second sequence.

The end of the first half. 49-39. After a time-out requested by Silvășan, Molină succeeded an and-one, but the veteran Giordan Watson scored a basket in the last second, from the middle of the field.
Min. 17. 40-28. U-BT has distanced to 15 points, but Anim managed a basket with a foul and reduced the difference.
Min. 14. 36-24. Mihai Silvășan's students continue to dominate and, after 2 triple of Richard and Russell, the white-blue technician asked for a rest time.
Min. 12. 28-21. Trey Woodbury scored 8 points in the first 2 minutes of the second quarter, and Dan Ioan asks for a rest time.
The start of the second act. Very balanced match in the DP Colibași Hall in Brasov.

The end of the first quarter. 20-19. U-Banca Transilvania returned to the leadership a few seconds before the end of the inaugural act, after a basket of Iviverson Molinar.
Min. 8. 13-15. The game became more animated, after a few minutes without too many successes. CSO Voluntari continues to be in advantage, taking advantage of the Cluj group that is not built for the regulation in internal competitions.
Min. 5. 6-9. The same Russell interrupted the drought of the Romanian champion with a new 3 -point basket.
Min. 3. 3-6. Russell opened the scoring with a great distance, but followed a partial of 6-0 of the Ilfovians.
Start of the match. Mihai Silvășan sent Daron Russell, Patrick Richard, Karel Guzman, Mitch Creek and Ben Alit. In contrast, the holders of Dan Ioan are Mike Caffey, Sacard Anim, Tudor Gîbea, Solomon Young and Alexandru Olah.

The players of the two bands warm up on the Prosecutor's Office of the Sports Hall in Brasov. Mihai Silvășan chose to leave the Pivot Nathan Mensah and the extreme Jefffery Taylor outside the lot. The duel will be played by the rule in the championship and the Cup that obliges the teams to have 2 Romanian players on the field.

The Romanian Super Cup puts them face to face, for the third time, U-BT Cluj-Napoca and CSO Voluntari

The dispute between U-BT and Voluntari will take place on Saturday, September 20, from 7:15 pm, in the Dumitru Popescu Colibași Hall in Brasov. The two rivals met twice in the Romanian Super Cup, both matches being awarded by black and white: 89-82 in 2021 (Târgu Jiu) and 78-76 in 2022 (Ploiești).

Both U-BT and volunteers have made big changes this summer. Mihai Silvășan's band has announced that he will also participate in the ABA League, an important regional competition in Europe, and has changed most of the lot.

The only ones who remained were Patrick Richard, Karel Guzman and the juniors Darius Miron, Radu Cepoi, Alexis Petric and Dragoș Tancău. Instead, the black and white made a number of impressive transfers: Daron Russell, Trey Woodbury, Molinar, Jefffery Taylor, Mitch Creek, Ben Altit, Nathan Mensah and Dusan Miletic.

On the other side, CSO Voluntari remained without Ainars Bagatskis, the head of Latvian origin, who decided to continue his career in Poland, at Slastk Wroclaw. In his place was promoted the second Dan Ioan.

The Ilfovians kept Mike Caffey, Kodi Justice, Costin Șerbănescu, Lee Skinner, Laslo Polyak and Alexandru Olah. Plus they joined the white-blue Giordan Watson, David Pătru, Sacard Anim, Mihail Misaailo, Matei Vișan, Mouhamed Barro and Solomon Young.

“The main focus is to work to be a better team. As long as we bring intensity, effort and energy, between and each of us, this will give us the best chance, not necessarily for the supera, but from this point.

The more we worry about anything other than the volunteers, the more distractions we will have from our goals. This is the main goal to become our best version, the rest will be resolved by itself“, Skinner said, in an interview for probaschet.ro.

Both bands have achieved solid results during the verification period

Here are the results of CSO Voluntari in Presezon:

• 79-76 vs. SCM U Craiova

• 83-81 vs. FC Argeș Basketball

• 86-82 vs. CSM Petrolul Ploiești

• 81-86 vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys (Lithuania)

• 93-78 vs. Tartu ulikool (Estonia)

If Dan Ioan's students had a 4-1 balance, on the other hand, Mihai Silvășan's players won all 4 verification games contested so far:

• 99-90 vs. CS Vâlcea 1924

• 95-93 vs. AEK Athens (Greece)

• 94-90 vs. IGOKEA ALEKSANDROVAC (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

• 89-80 vs. Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

The last eliminatory match played between CSO Voluntari and U-BT Cluj-Napoca was the one from the quarterfinals of the Romanian Cup, the 2024-2025 edition, that ended with the victory of Ilfovians, score 101-95.

After that match, CSO Voluntari won both the Romanian Cup and the European North Basketball League, a regional competition in which it has participated in recent years. Instead, U-BT Cluj-Napoca won a new national title, after an intense final with CSM CSU Oradea.