The favourites confirmed expectations in yesterday’s Cup Semi-Finals, as PN99 and ESOBGA defeated Think Colour and Red Panda Moufflons respectively, securing their place in the Grand Final, which will take place the day after tomorrow.
The two finalists of the Nicosia Championship Gold Category will now face each other for a second title showdown within less than two weeks, significantly raising the excitement ahead of Thursday’s Cup Final.
In yesterday’s Semi-Finals, reigning champions PN99 were the first to book their place, overcoming Think Colour 68–55. Despite facing strong resistance for most of the game, PN99 stepped up in the final quarter and secured the win thanks to a decisive late performance.
Andreas Christou’s side was hindered by the absence of key players (Trisokkas, Ilias, Milian), as well as fatigue that naturally set in towards the end. Despite their strong effort, they were unable to avoid defeat.
Petros Konnafis led the winners with 25 points, followed by Giannakis Prokopiou and Alexis Georgiades with 15 and 13 respectively. For Think Colour, Giorgos Anastasiadis and Panagiotis Spanos stood out with 15 and 13 points each.
In the second Semi-Final, ESOBGA had a relatively easier task on paper and eventually secured qualification with a narrow 80–74 victory over the only Limassol representative in the Final Four, Red Panda Moufflons.
The flow of the game tells a different story than the final score suggests, as Christos Kyriakides’ team had built a lead of up to +29 early in the second half. However, Daria Evdokimova’s players attempted another impressive comeback—similar to their effort against P&P on Friday—but this time only managed to significantly reduce the gap.
Top scorers for ESOBGA were Dimitris Makris and Christos Diamantis with 17 and 16 points respectively, while for the Moufflons, Rihards Kronitis and Nikola Popovic stood out with 19 and 18 points.
PN99 and ESOBGA—arguably the two strongest teams in both the Championship and the Cup—now prepare for another major showdown. This time, they will meet on Thursday at 20:30 at the Agios Dometios Indoor Hall, with the Cup title at stake.
