PN99 has been crowned a worthy champion for the second consecutive year, justly winning the Gold Category title in yesterday’s Grand Final. They defeated CyprusBasket with a decisive score of 70-47. Throughout the match, PN99 was visibly the better team, playing exceptional defense that led to numerous fast breaks. Combined with their offensive variety, teamwork, and sharp perimeter shooting, they left little room for CyprusBasket to challenge for the win.
CyprusBasket, on the other hand, had a very low offensive output in yesterday’s Grand Final, with unusually poor shooting percentages. Their key players couldn’t provide the expected solutions, and from a certain point onward, they surrendered. Yesterday’s final at the Agios Dometios indoor stadium was tailored to PN99’s strengths from the very beginning. They took an early lead, finishing the first quarter up 21-12. In the second period, Aris Koronidis’s team showed a reaction after a sluggish start and managed to find some balance, but PN99’s lead remained intact, and the halftime break ended with the score at 30-21.
The game’s dynamic changed in the second half. As time went on, the champions’ superiority became clear. Their offense shifted into high gear, and their defense shut down all of CB’s key players. As a result, their lead grew exponentially, and by the end of the third quarter, they were up by 18 points (56-38), with the scales tipped firmly in favor of Georgiades and Konnafis’s team. The highly anticipated derby ultimately turned into a one-sided affair, and the fourth quarter was more of a formality. The huge difference (which at one point reached +27) sent PN99’s morale skyrocketing and their opponents’ to rock bottom.
The final score of 70-47 secured a tremendous victory for PN99, whose players celebrated their back-to-back championship with passion. The MVP title for the winners was shared by Yiannakis Prokopiou and Alexis Georgiades, who both had outstanding performances, scoring 24 and 20 points, respectively. For the CB team, Alekos Papadopoulos and Costas Papathanasiou stood out with 12 and 10 points each.
Congratulations are well deserved for the champions, who claimed the title in a fair and undefeated season. However, congratulations are also due to CyprusBasket, which, after three years in the Winter Championship, made it to the Grand Final for the first time. Both teams will continue their journey in the Cup, where tough quarter-final matches await them next week.
