The St. Nicholas Pistols recorded an important away victory last night in Episkopi, edging Arthouros in a thrilling contest 60–63. With this win, the Pistols have secured the privileged 2nd place in the standings, guaranteeing direct qualification to the playoff semifinals, regardless of the results of the final round.
In fact, following last night’s outcome, the final standings of all teams in the Limassol Championship have effectively been determined, as the current order in the table can no longer change, regardless of next week’s results.
The game at the Episkopi Gym turned into a tense battle, with both teams fighting hard for the win until the final seconds. The balance of the game was evident from the statistics: the largest lead for either side never exceeded six points, the score was tied 11 times, and the lead changed hands 15 times.
With 30 seconds remaining, the hosts were narrowly ahead 60–59, but a crucial basket by Nikolas Damianou gave the visitors a 60–61 lead. Arthouros attempted to regain the advantage in the remaining moments, but two clutch free throws by Andrei Shirkin and Iosif Bitsimis sealed the Pistols’ seventh win of the season.
For the winners, Nikolas Damianou and Andrei Shirkin led the offense with 15 and 10 points respectively. For the hosts, Demian Zenkov delivered an outstanding performance with 26 points, followed by Panagiotis Vourtsas with 11.
One remarkable statistic from the game was that all 15 players who appeared in the match managed to score.
