The European University Warriors were the big winners of last night’s semifinal against the Cyprus Sports Writers Association (EAK), securing a 64-56 victory and a ticket to next Tuesday’s Grand Final, where they will face the champion PN99. For the EAK team, last night’s game was their final match of the season. They fought valiantly to the very last minute, just as they did in all their games this season, leaving a very positive impression.
The matchup at the Agios Dometios indoor stadium was incredibly close and kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very end. In a difficult and hard-fought game, Andreas Kokkinos’s team faced a challenge but ultimately got the result they needed. They capitalized on their numerical superiority and depth, having 12 available players on the bench compared to Boris Karagiannis’s team, which had only 7. EAK started the game better, taking an 11-16 lead in the first quarter and catching the “Warriors” by surprise.
As the second quarter progressed, the Warriors picked up the pace, significantly improved their defense, and by the end of the first half, they had turned the game around, taking a 33-25 lead. In the second half, the Warriors maintained a steady lead for most of the time, but they could never pull away. EAK, led by their key players Loizidis and Neophytou, kept the score close.
The third quarter ended with the Warriors’ lead at +6 (45-39), and with three minutes left in the game, it had narrowed to 55-50. The home team then went on a 5-0 run with consecutive points from Ilias Labrakis. Loizidis responded with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 60-53, but it wasn’t enough given the time remaining. A series of free throws from both sides followed, leading to the final score of 64-56 and a victory for the Warriors.
The top scorer for the winners was Ilias Labrakis with 14 points, followed by Michalis Savva and Athos Fessas with 12 points each. For EAK, Andreas Loizidis and Giorgos Neophytou stood out with 26 and 20 points, respectively.
