Last night, the ESOBGA team captured the Silver Category championship title, defeating the Warriors 57-53 in a thrilling final. They celebrated the title in their very first season in the Nicosia Winter Championship. For the Warriors, who made a heroic effort to mount a big comeback in the 4th quarter and nearly succeeded, this was their second appearance in a Grand Final of our championship, a successful one despite the negative result.
The Grand Final at the Agios Dometios indoor arena was marked by one notable absence: that of the Warriors’ coach, our good friend and esteemed colleague, Andreas Kokkinos. The ESOBGA players wore jerseys with Andreas’s photo and the message “Get well soon,” while a special announcement for him was made over the loudspeakers during the Warriors’ team presentation, receiving warm applause from everyone in the arena. Our wish is for Andreas to fully and quickly overcome his health struggles and to always be on his beloved team’s sideline!
On the court, the game started ideally for Andreas Sizopoulos’s team, which got off to a visibly better start, leading 25-12 by the end of the first quarter. In the second period, the “Warriors” tried to make up for lost ground and partially succeeded, narrowing the gap to 26-21. The two teams went into halftime with ESOBGA ahead 37-31.
The game’s dynamic changed in the second half. At the start of the third quarter, Andreas Tsiatinis’s players continued their rhythm and for a significant part of the quarter remained within striking distance of ESOBGA, who, however, never lost their lead. The home team then had the answers again, raising the score to 52-40 by the end of the third period and showing they had a clear winning momentum.
Just when most people thought the game was over, the Warriors refused to give up, launching a powerful counter-attack. With their excellent defense as a weapon, they slowly managed to chip away at the lead, coming within a breath of taking the lead. The final minutes turned into a rodeo, with the victory hanging by a thread. Both teams missed numerous chances, with a festival of missed free throws—ESOBGA to close the game out, and the Warriors to tie or take the lead. This led to the final possession, with 30 seconds left and the score at 55-53. After a frantic sequence, the ball found its way to Dimitris Makris under the basket. With Olympian calmness, he navigated around teammates and opponents to score the winning basket, sealing the final score at 57-53.
For the winners, the scoring was well-distributed, with all players contributing. Tsaggaridis and N. Panagiotou made significant contributions with 10 points each, as did Papagiannis, Makris, and Kaskiris with 8 each. For the losers, Athos Fessas stood out with 17 points, followed by Polys Ieronimides with 12.
Warm congratulations are deserved for both teams for the beautiful and sportsmanlike game they gave us. We wish them the best of luck in the Cup tournament, where they continue their run for this season.
