Apollon Heat recorded their fourth win of the current Limassol Championship last night. Despite facing strong resistance from Art Eat ENAATH, they ultimately got the job done, winning 48–57 and climbing back to 2nd place in the standings (albeit having played one more game than the rest of the teams).
Last night’s game at the Linopetra Lyceum, which opened the 7th round, featured many stretches of a tightly contested battle, with several lead changes, before being definitively decided in the second half of the fourth quarter.
In the opening quarter, the two teams were evenly matched, with the hosts taking a slight 14–12 lead. The visitors, however, turned the tables in the second quarter and took control of the game. By halftime, Mykola Nesushchyi’s team was leading 20–27, and early in the second half they doubled their advantage to 20–34, seemingly putting the game firmly in their hands.
The players of Antonis Tsardoulia, however, had a different view. Refusing to give in, they cut the deficit to 36–39 by the end of the third quarter and completed a full comeback early in the fourth, taking a 41–39 lead. From that point on, the game turned into a thriller, but the visitors ultimately proved more composed and restored order, reclaiming control of the matchup.
Despite the spirited effort by the home team, victory went to Apollon Heat, who escaped with a crucial 48–57 road win, returning to winning ways after four consecutive defeats (including Cup matches). The MVP for the winners was Viacheslav Titov, who scored 21 points, followed by Filipov and Ivonin with 9 points each. For the hosts, Pipiros and Emmanouilidis scored 9 points each, with Gountis close behind on 8.
In the next round, ENAATH will host the St. Nicholas Pistols, while Apollon Heat will travel to face Trachoni.
