Partizan beat Fuenlabrada 98-55 at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall

Partizan opened their AdmiralBet Open Air tournament with a 98-55 victory over the newly named Partizan de Fuenlabrada. Despite the tournament's name, this match was played in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. The Belgrade team built a decisive first-half advantage, while the meeting also marked a new stage in the relationship between the two clubs.

Partizan built a large lead in the first quarter

The score was close at 9-7 before Partizan scored seventeen of the next nineteen points. That put the home team 26-9 ahead after the first quarter. Partizan continued to increase the advantage during the second quarter and reached halftime leading 51-19. Fuenlabrada therefore began the second half with a substantial deficit to overcome.

That first-half difference shaped the remainder of the game. Fuenlabrada had little opportunity to put the result back in doubt, while Partizan could continue working through their available combinations. The final margin should therefore be understood in the context of a preparation match that became one-sided early, rather than as a close contest decided by one late contribution.

The scoring is shared across the rotation

Derek Willis led Partizan with 16 points, followed by Joffrey Lauvergne with 15 and Nikola Tanaskovic with 14. Tonye Jekiri also reached double figures, adding 11. The distribution shows that the scoring did not depend on one player producing an unusually large individual total.

Other players contributed smaller amounts as Partizan maintained their lead after halftime. The club's report provides the scoring list but not a complete account of playing time, shot selection or defensive assignments. Points alone cannot establish how every player performed. They do show that several members of the rotation were involved in building the result.

Fuenlabrada improve their scoring after the interval

The visitors scored 22 points in the third quarter after managing 19 across the entire first half. Partizan still won that period and remained comfortably ahead, then completed the match with another positive fourth quarter. Cruz led Fuenlabrada with 13 points, while Benite added 12.

The improved scoring after halftime did not erase the earlier deficit. For the visiting team, however, a preparation match also provides minutes against a demanding opponent and an opportunity to test arrangements before competitive play. The final score describes the outcome without proving how either club's whole season will develop.

The Spanish club now carries the Partizan name

Fuenlabrada's own announcement confirms Partizan de Fuenlabrada as its new name. The club presents the change as part of a joint project covering sporting, institutional, social, business and branding activity. That is a broader relationship than simply arranging a friendly match or exchanging a commemorative gift.

The Spanish statement also mentions work on player development and shared institutional initiatives. It does not say the two senior teams have become one team or that every player will automatically move between them. The confirmed point is that an established partnership is taking on a new public identity and additional areas of cooperation.

A relationship that began during the European title season

The clubs trace their connection to the 1991/92 European campaign, when Partizan played home European fixtures in Fuenlabrada because of the wartime circumstances. Partizan went on to win the European title. The Spanish club describes that period as the beginning of a relationship that has continued for 35 years.

That history gave the September meeting a meaning beyond the result. The visiting team arrived under its new name, while Partizan played in front of their own supporters for the first time in this preparation period. The occasion joined a practical preseason fixture with a public expression of the clubs' long-standing connection.

Partizan also completed the tournament with a win

The published tournament programme placed Fuenlabrada against Besiktas in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall the following day. Besiktas won that game 108-74. Partizan then faced the Turkish club on September 13, with the start moved forward by one hour because of the weather.

Partizan won the closing game 89-71 after leading 43-38 at halftime. That result is separate from the 98-55 victory over Fuenlabrada described here, but it means the tournament is no longer an upcoming event. Partizan completed two different preparation tests with two wins before the competitive season.