Last night, the Youth Stars team celebrated their qualification for the Grand Final on May 18. Although they struggled a bit, they ultimately got what they wanted against the Black Panthers, winning 39-32 and securing the coveted ticket in their very first appearance in the Women’s Winter Championship. The “Panthers,” on the other hand, despite looking their opponents in the eye and passionately fighting for the win until the end, were left with the rather bittersweet taste of a valiant performance that did not result in the desired outcome.
The match at Apostolos Markos Lyceum last night did not start well for the home team, which had a poor start, remaining scoreless in the first 7 minutes of the game. The score at the end of the first quarter found the visitors ahead 3-6. However, in the second period, Kyriaki Nikodimou’s players woke up after their sluggish start, controlled the pace, and slowly brought the game to their terms, leading 17-13 at the end of the half.
At the start of the second half, the Youth Stars continued to dominate on the court, managing to take a double-digit lead for the first time (27-15 halfway through the 3rd period), showing that they would confirm their favorite status. However, a 9-2 run from the Black Panthers gave the game new life, reducing the lead to 29-24. The excitement soared even more when, with 2 minutes left in the game, the “Panthers” narrowed the gap to -3 (35-32), turning the game into a thriller.
However, Sofia Cheimonetou, with two consecutive baskets just before the end, gave the home team some breathing room, increasing the lead to 39-32, which would be the final score, allowing the Youth Stars to celebrate their victory and qualification for the Grand Final. The MVP for the winners was Sofia Theologou (19p. – 10r.) followed by Kyriaki Nikodimou with 6. For the visitors, Styliani Theodosiou had a great game with 22 points, with main supporters Quesada and Andreou with 4 each.
Now, the Youth Stars will await to find out their opponent for the Grand Final, who will be the winner of tonight’s Semi-Final between the Blue Cats and the All’D Stars, while the Black Panthers will face the loser in the Small Final.
