ESOBGA claimed the Cup title last night, defeating PN99 in the Grand Final with a score of 54–61 and closing the season in the best possible way, sealing their excellent campaign with a trophy.
Christos Kyriakides’ team fully deserved the title, as they maintained the lead throughout the game, withstood the pressure applied by the reigning champions, found solutions at crucial moments, and ultimately secured a great victory.
On the other hand, for PN99, this was the first Grand Final in the Winter League in which they failed to secure the win. One of the key reasons was the early loss of Giannakis Prokopiou, who was sidelined due to injury early in the second quarter.
His absence for nearly three quarters of the game, combined with the fact that no player other than Petros Konnafis made a significant offensive contribution, neutralised the benefits of their zone defense, which had otherwise caused problems for ESOBGA.
At the same time, ESOBGA remained composed even when their 12-point lead in the second quarter was cut down to just one point. They found solutions both from the perimeter and inside the paint, with the dominant Kaskiris controlling the key area, and ultimately secured the title.
The MVPs for the winners were Dimitris Makris and Tolis Kaskiris, who scored 16 and 14 points respectively, followed by Nikolas Panagiotou with 8. For PN99, Petros Konnafis stood out with 25 points, while Giannakis Prokopiou added 8 (in just 13 minutes of play) and Loizos Hadjivasileiou contributed 7.
Congratulations to ESOBGA for winning the title, as well as to both teams for their sportsmanship throughout the game. For ESOBGA, the season concluded last night — we thank them and look forward to seeing them even stronger next year. As for PN99, their season is not over yet, as they will compete in the Super Cup against the Limassol champions.
