Petrolina AEK secured the first ticket for the OPAP Final Four final for the Men's Cup, after its victory in the first semifinal against the Paralimni Youth Union with 92-78. Larnaca entered the game strongly and took the lead from the beginning, maintaining their lead until the end of the match.
The "purple" made a great effort on the floor, remaining close to the score throughout the match, however AEK was better and in the end left with the victory and qualification for the grand final on Sunday (11/3 at 19:00 ).
Leading the game were Devin Cersei with 19 points (6 rebounds, 2 assists) and Tyrik Duren with 20 points (2 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 4 assists).
With a series of seven points, AEK entered the game (four by Sersi, three by Sizopoulos), making it 7-0 until 2:30. In the next two minutes, ENP was improved and scored seven points, while conceding two, with the score leading to 9-7. Then followed another six points for the team of Dimitris Koukouris (four Cersei, two Gibson), with the score going to 15-7, while by 8 'the score was 21-13. The "yellow-greens" were better in the last two minutes of the season, scoring another ten points, while ENP achieved three, with the score going to 31-16.
ENP started concentrated in the second half, managing to score six points by 12:30, while conceding three, thus reducing to 34-22. In the next minute, AEK reacted with two three-pointers from Gibson and Tasic, bringing the score to 40-22. By the middle of the season, ENP reduced the difference to 14 (42-28), with the "purple" maintaining their positive image and then, where until 18:30 they reduced to 45-34. The end of the first half found AEK leading 48-36.
Duren scored two points at the start of the third period (50-36), with ENP then reacting and scoring six points (four by Hickey, two by Ezekiah), thus reducing the difference to eight (50-42). The difference remained after that, where at 24:15 AEK was in front of the score with 54-46. In the next two minutes, the team of Nikolas Papadopoulos reduced to seven (55-48), while five points followed for AEK (Sizopoulos three points, Tasic two), with the score going to 60-48. In the 29th minute, the score was 65-54, while at the end of the season, AEK increased the difference to fifteen (71-56).
With four points until the 32nd minute, the Union entered the game (from two Ezekiah-Myers), reducing to 71-60. In the next minute, AEK responded with five points (Gibson three points, Cersei two), again increasing the difference to sixteen (76-60). By 35 'the score went to 78-66, while by 37:30 ENP reduced the difference by one point (84-73). With the final of the match, AEK took the victory with a final score of 92-78.
TEN MINUTES: 16-31, 36-48, 56-71, 78-92
IN. Paralimni (Nikolas Papadopoulos)
Atgud 14 (2), Zantis, Hickey 9 (1), Ezekiah 26, Papadopoulos 4, Georgiev, Charalambous, Myers 22, Solomou 1, Papageorgiou, Pyrillis 2.
Petrolina AEK (Dimitris Koukouris)
Sersi 19, Sizopoulos 9 (3), Tasic 8 (1), Trisokkas 5, Panteli 8 (1), Duren 20 (2), Biggs 4, Koumis, Gibson 15 (3), Pasialis 4, Motitis.
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