First Shoot APOPAL snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the St. Nicholas Pistols last night, in a game strictly not suitable for the faint-hearted. The Graduates managed a dramatic comeback to prevail 50–49, securing at the same time their ticket to the Cup quarterfinals.
Despite playing without two of their key offensive weapons (Giorgos Georgiou and Andreas Fotiou), and despite the very strong performance of the Pistols (who were also without their leading scorer, Lefteris Triantafyllou), the visitors even built an 11-point lead at the Pallouriotissa gym. Nevertheless, the hosts found a way to thread the needle in the closing moments and walk away with the precious pink game sheet.
The match, which opened the Round of 16, was packed with suspense and tension, keeping everyone watching on the edge of their seats until the very last play. Indicative of how tight the contest was is the fact that the lead changed hands seven times, while the score was tied on seven occasions as well.
Midway through the third quarter, the Pistols pulled away for the first time into double digits, leading 33–44 in the 26th minute, appearing to have full momentum on their side. From that point on, however, the hosts gradually launched a determined comeback, raising the intensity both defensively and offensively. With a minute and a half remaining, they had cut the deficit to just 48–49.
The hero of the night for the winners was Thrasos Konstantinidis, who with ice-cold composure sank both free throws (2/2) with 17 seconds left, giving the Graduates the lead for the first time in quite a while. In the remaining seconds, Giorgos Angonas’ team tried to respond, but missed a huge opportunity at the buzzer with a close-range shot by Neofytos Styllas, allowing the victory and qualification to stay with the Graduates.
Top scorer for the winners was Andreas Minnosiis with 11 points, followed by Fotiou, Konstantinidis, Pelekanos and Bucur, who each added 7 points. For the Limassol side, Andrei Shirkin stood out with 12 points, while Iosif Bitsimis contributed 9.
