Apollon Heat secured a convincing victory and qualification to the Final Four of the Limassol Championship last night, defeating Art Eat ENAATH 87–55 in the game that opened the play-offs stage of the competition.
The team of Mykola Nesushchyi confirmed their status as favourites before tip-off, taking the lead early in the game and maintaining it until the final buzzer. With the exception of the second quarter, when the visitors appeared competitive and kept the game relatively close, the home side dominated throughout the rest of the match.
The decisive moment that ultimately tilted the balance in favour of Heat came in the third quarter, when they outscored their opponents 27–8, effectively putting an end to any hopes the team of Antonis Tsardoulia had of a comeback and turning the final quarter into a mere formality.
Two players for the winners scored more than 20 points and stood out: Maksym Nekhai with 27 points and Viacheslav Titov with 21. For the visitors, Makis Pipiros scored 19 points, followed by Nikos Ballas with 9.
Apollon Heat will now prepare for the semi-finals, where they will face St. Nicholas Pistols away from home on 2 April. For ENAATH, last night’s match marked their final appearance of the season. We warmly thank them for their presence and support in our Championship and look forward to seeing them again next autumn!
