Trieste vs Igokea – Preview & Prediction (Nov. 04, 2025)
Match preview
Trieste hosts Igokea in Round 4 of the FIBA Champions League, a game that feels like a must-win for the home side if they want to keep play-in hopes alive. Trieste arrive in decent domestic form after back-to-back Serie A wins, but their season so far has been a mix of strong scoring and shaky defense.
Offensively they can be dangerous — they push the pace, knock down threes and have the kind of depth that lets them play up-tempo even when starters rest. Jahmius Ramsey has been a standout recently, pouring in points and helping the team close out games. Juan Toscano-Anderson gives them toughness when available, though foul trouble has limited him at times. Bigger bodies like Mady Sissoko and Jarrod Uthoff, plus guards such as Colbey Ross, give Trieste a balanced rotation that can sustain pressure for long stretches.
Defensively Trieste still have holes: they’ve allowed easy paint buckets and suffered slow rotations at times, which opponents have exploited. Reducing turnovers has been a positive trend, but they’ll need to tighten up on the glass and in transition against Igokea.
Igokea come off a heavy loss in the ABA League and will be looking to regroup. That defeat exposed some of their recurring issues — lots of turnovers, trouble coping with fast-break offenses and vulnerability on the perimeter, especially around the guards. Breein Tyree has been the primary scoring engine; when he’s hot the team plays quicker and looks more dangerous, but that also leaves them exposed if he struggles or gets targeted defensively.
JeQuan Lewis provides a steadier playmaking presence but doesn’t always make up for defensive lapses. Javon Bess has yet to deliver consistently, and the frontcourt of Strahinja Gavrilovic and Nikola Popovic will be tested against Trieste’s athletic wings. In their only meeting this season, played in Laktaši, Igokea won 91–76.
Injury note: Trieste should be near full strength for this one. Igokea will be without Vasilije Pusica, and domestic roster rules mean they must bench an additional foreign player for the game.
Prediction & practical info
Trieste have the edge at home: they can match Igokea’s speed and have the depth to keep pressure up for 40 minutes. Given Igokea’s recent defensive collapse and turnover problems, the hosts should be able to exploit those weaknesses, especially in transition and from beyond the arc.
Tip-off: Tuesday, 04.11.2025 — 20:30 CET.
Pick: Trieste to win and cover a small spread (around -4.5). Expect a competitive game, but the home team should have enough intensity and execution to get the job done.
