Very important wins were recorded last night by the Nicosia Bar Association and First Shoot APOPAL, who as part of the 4th round of the Second Phase claimed home victories against the Moufflons and the Old Bulldogs respectively.
In the game that opened last night’s schedule in the Nicosia Championship, the Nicosia Bar Association extended their winning run. After last round’s road win against the Basket Bros, they defeated the Moufflons 58–53 last night in Agios Dometios, climbing to 2nd place in the standings, just one point off the top.
The Lawyers had to pull off a huge comeback to secure the win, as for almost the entire game it was the Moufflons who held the lead — at one point stretching it to +17. At halftime the visitors were ahead 21–31, and by the end of the third quarter they had extended their advantage to 34–46.
The turning point of the game came in the final quarter, when the hosts went on an incredible run. Led by the outstanding Tsakonas, they produced a stunning 24–7 run, turning the game on its head and securing their third win in the Bronze Division.
Once again, Nikos Tsakonas was the MVP for the winners, adding 28 points, followed by Lambidis and Theodorou with 11 and 9 points respectively. For the visitors, Walid El Adas stood out with 18 points, supported by Vienna and Koptev, who scored 10 and 9 points respectively.
The First Shoot APOPAL celebrated their first win of the Second Phase last night, defeating the Old Bulldogs 48–43 and re-entering the top four, which leads to the Final Four (they also have one postponed game against the Splash Ballers).
The game at the Pallouriotissa Gymnasium was evenly balanced throughout the first half, with the two teams staying close on the scoreboard and all signs pointing to a battle that would go down to the wire. The difference was made in the third quarter, when the hosts increased their intensity and built a small but crucial lead that proved decisive.
By the end of the third quarter, Antonis Ashikkalis’ team was leading 37–31, and early in the fourth quarter they extended the margin further to +12 (43–31). The visitors refused to give up and responded with a strong 12–2 run, cutting the deficit to a single basket (45–43) with about two minutes remaining.
Nevertheless, the hosts kept their composure and, thanks to three consecutive points by Petros Fotiou, sealed the 48–43 final score, earning their first win in the Silver Division. Andreas Fotiou and Petros Fotiou were the standout performers for the winners with 21 and 10 points respectively, while for the visitors Stefanos Christou and Christoforos Agamemnonos stood out with 13 and 10 points respectively.
