Giovani EN Paralimniou was the big winner of the derby of the 7th game of the OPAP Basket League, taking the double against Petrolina AEK in "Kition" with 73-75, after an exciting game. Thus, the team of Paralimni remains the only undefeated player of the tournament and enjoys the loneliness of the top, while forcing Larnaca to their first defeat.
The MVP of the match was DeAndre Dixon who scored 25 points and got ten rebounds.
From the first ten minutes the game was competitive, with the lead constantly changing hands and one overthrow followed the other. The period ended with the layup of Dixon who put the Union ahead with four points (19-23).
AEK entered with a series of eight points in the second ten minutes and Ewing's two-pointer at 12 λε put it ahead with five points (28-23), with the "purple" responding with their own series of ten points and at 16 ′ with the basket of Aqua took the lead with five points (28-33). The difference reached nine (31-40) with the three-pointer of Hatzikostas at 18 ′, while the first half ended with the layup of Goodwin and the three-pointer of Koronidis to bring the reduction to four points (36-40).
In the 22nd minute, with Bargett's basket, the guests opened the scoring in double digits (38-49), while in the 24th minute, Dixon's two points increased the difference to 14 points (40-54). The "yellow-greens" then managed to reduce and with the three-pointer of Panagiotos seconds before the end of the third quarter they approached the five points (56-61).
At 33 ′ the hosts with the three-pointer of Pantelis managed to throw the difference in just one basket (64-66) and so the rest of the game gained even more interest that was judged in the last second.
In the 40 seconds before the end, Sizopoulos' shots brought the difference again to two points (73-75). Then there were two shots lost by Dixon and the "yellow-greens" had nine seconds for the last attack. Ewing attempted the three-pointer, it was missed and so the Union got its seventh pink card.
TEN MINUTES: 19-23, 36-40, 56-61, 73-75
Petrolina AEK (Nikolas Papadopoulos)
Goodwin 14, Ewing 14, Snyder 7, Sizopoulos 5 (1), Panteli 14 (2), Louka, Panagiotou 6 (2), Koronidis 13 (3)
Giovani EN Paralimni (Zakis Papadopoulos)
Aqua 10, Dixon 25, Georgiou 5 (1), Solomou 9 (1), Barget 17 (3), Chatzikostas 7 (1), Pyrillis, Karagiannis 2