Season Awards 2002-2003
Eurobasket Player of the year Duane Woodward (AEL) Eurobasket Forward of the year Panayiotis Trisokkas (Keravnos) Eurobasket Center of the year David Van Dyke (AEL) Eurobasket Guard of the year Giorgos Anastasiadis (Keravnos) Eurobasket Newcomer of the Year Alex Liatsos (Apollon) Eurobasket Most Improved Player of the Year Andreas Sizopoulos (APOEL) Eurobasket Import Player of the Year (non-European) Duane Woodward (AEL) Eurobasket Bosman Player of the Year Ranko Velimirovic (AEL) Eurobasket Coach of the Year Dragan Radja (AEL) Eurobasket All-League 1st Team (only 5 players) Duane Woodward (AEL), Michalis Kounounis (AEL), Giorgos Anastasiadis (Keravnos), Panayiotis Trisokkas (Keravnos), Kevin Van Dyke (AEL) Eurobasket All-League 2nd Team (only 5 players) Rasul Salahuddin (AEL), Isaac Burton (APOEL), Christos Spurou (AEL), Konstantinos Perentos (AEL), George Banks (APOEL) Eurobasket All-League Domestic Players Team (only 5 players) Christos Stulianidis (ENAD) Panayiotis Giannas (Omonia), Giorgos Anastasiadis (AEL), Nikos Michael (Apollon), Panayiotis Trisokkas (Keravnos) Eurobasket All-League Imports Team (only 5 players, non-Europeans) Duane Woodward (AEL), Isaac Burton (APOEL), Curtis Haywood (ETHA), George Banks (APOEL), David Van Dyke (AEL) Eurobasket All-League Newcomers Team (only 5 players) Ahilleos (Apollon) Grigoriou (Digenis) Alex Liatsos (Apollon) Giannis Kremos (Keravnos) Panayiotis Koutsoloukas (Paralimni)
Limassol is celebrating - Apr. 13, 2003
- by
Erodotos MiltiadousThe city of Limassol is celebrating. AEL are the Cyprus champions both in the men's and women's competitions. The men's team of AEL beat Keravnos with 79-74 in front of 2.000 fans and completed 3 wins in the series taking the title for the first time since 1988. In the women's finals AEL beat Keravnos with 65-58 and also completed 3 wins over Keravnos. AEL - Keravnos 79-74 AEL send their thousands of fans into a frenzy after wining the league title for the first time in 15 years. The "Queen" of the Cyprus basketball deserved this success and with the support of 2.000 fans inside the stadium (many more were outside with no ticket, watching the game on a big screen) had no problem beating Keravnos with 79-74 in a dramatic game. Woodward was once again the best player of AEL and took his team to the cup. The American scored 23 points and was the turning point of the game. Both teams started well the game and were close by in the score. AEL closed the first period with 22-19. Keravnos, with Rasul Salahuddin (189-G-74), in the second period went ahead and kept the lead until the end (40-44). But in the second half Salahuddin stopped scoring (only 2 points in the second part) and gave the chance to AEL and Woodward the cover the difference. But Keravnos with Trisokkas continued scoring and kept a lead until the end of the period closing it with 58-61. In the last period it was the time for the thousands of fans of AEL in and out of the stadium to take action. The supporters helped their team comeback in the game and take a lead five points, 5 minutes before the end. The last minutes were dramatic. 1’.40" before the end Trisokkas of Keravnos dropped the difference down to 1 points. But then Woodward scored two free-throws and placed his teams three points in top of Keravnos. Then Keravnos attempted a fast three-points shot by Salahuddin but the American missed the shot. 8" before the end Perentos won two free-throws and scored both making the 79-74 that was the final score. Periods:22-19, 40-44, 58-61, 79-74 AEL: Woodward 23(4), Perentos 20(2), Spurou 10(2), Kouzapas5, Van Dyke 12, Kounounis 9(1). Keravnos: Salahuddin 20, Anastasiadis 6(2), Darrin Fowlkes 6(1), Trisokkas 17. Pelle 7, Koronidis 3(1), Mbonu 15, Kremmos. When the buzzer stopped a crazy party took place in the stadium. The fans undressed the players taking their uniforms as a souvenir while the supporters raised the players on their shoulders hailing them as heroes. The champions opened the champagnes and celebrated the big success. But the night was still long. Many more thousands of fans of AEL that were watching the game on TV with the ones at the stadium went to the Saint Nikolas round-about were the AEL fans usually go to cheer a success. A few minutes later the players with the managing team arrived at the place with the thousands fans cheering them. Most of the players jumped in the close by fountain celebrating. After that the players went to a night club were they celebrated the title until the late yours of the morning. This year for AEL was full of big successes and awards. The beginning happen when the Limassol team won the FIBA Regional Challenge South beating Igokea in the final that took place in Apollon stadium next to the AEL court. Then the team qualified to the Cyprus cup Final-4 but was eliminated from Omonia in the semis. The end of the season found the "Queen" celebrating the league title for the first time in 15 years. Two were the main reasons that AEL won the championship. Dragan Radja(61, Head Coach, AEL-CYP), in his first year as a coach (he retired last season) won the championship and the European cup. The young coach was the architecture of the title with his great scouting. Many say that the only reason AEL won the title won him. Another season stand-out was Woodward. The American came to Cyprus and from the first games showed who was boss. The AEL play-maker scored many points during the season and gave many wins to AEL. Off course many more helped AEL win the title. Van Dyke, the center of AEL, was the tower under the baskets. Perentos scored many points and helped in the defense through-out the season. Kounounis was great in defense and in offense. The captain, Spurou, was amazing and played one of his best seasons. The champions: 4. Dimitris Prokopiou (187-G-83) 5. Loris Hatzivasileiou 6. Markos Asonitis (196-F-79) 7. Kouzapas 8. Michalis Kounounis (192-F-81) 9. Iraklis Pittakas (194-F-84) 10. Konstantinos Perentos (195-F-83) 11. G. Ioannidis 12. Grigoris Pantouris (190-G/F-82) 13. David Van Dyke (209-C-70) 14. Christos Spirou (182-G-75) 15. Duane Woodward (190-G-75) Coach: Dragan Radja (Head Coach) Also Davor Kurilic (202-F-82) and Ranko Velimirovic (204-F-72) were members of the AEL roster in the European campaign only, helping their team win the European cup (In Cyprus each team is allowed two foreigners).
APOEL are cup winners
APOEL are the Cyprus cup winners of 2003 after their 96-82 win in the final of the Final-4 over Omonia. Experianced APOEL hade no problem beating Omonia that played for the first time in a final. The fans of both teams went to the stadium early and created an amazing atmosphere before, during and after the game. APOEL had about 3.000 fans while Omonia had 2.000 in the 5.500 capacity stadium. Before the mens final, AEL and Keravnos played for the womens cup. Keravnos won that game with 64-62 after a great comeback in the final minutes. Omonia - APOEL 82-96 APOEL won their 11th cup in basketball after their 96-82 win over Omonia. APOEL was better and deserved this trophy while Omonia had no experiance in a final and the young players couldn't perform their best. The stadium was full att least an hour before the tip-off while many more where following the game on their televisions or by radio. It was a dream final beetween the two most popular teams in Cyprus, APOEL and Omonia. The game started well and both teams were close in the score. The first period came to a close wtih APOEL leading 17-21 and everybody thought that the game was going to be a derbi. But in the second period APOEL with Panos Serdaris (196-G/F-78), Alexis Zachariou and George Banks (202-C/F-72) scoring like mad theu went ahead by 36-53 in halftime. In the second half the APOEL players just kept the difference. Banks was ellected MVP of the Final-4. He scored 24 and gathered 11 rebounds and was one of the many players of APOEL that performed well. Isaac Burton (191-G-73) scored 18 points and Serdaris 16. Every player that was used in the game played well. For Omonia only beeing in the final is a success and so nobody can accuse them for loosing. Lee Benson (208-F/C-74) in his last game in Cyprus scored 32 points while Nolan Johnson (193-G-78) made another 28. Omonia: Konstantinidis 4, Giannas, Johnson 28(1), Papadopoulos 5, Karapatakis, Benson 32(1), Andreou, Neofitou 13(3), Ilia, Mouchtaris APOEL: Kostekoglou 3(1), Burton 18(3), Serdaris 16(3), Zachariou 10, Bansk 24, Florent 9(2), Ierodiakonou 10, Sizopoulos 4, Papadimitriou 2, Panteli Semifinals In the semi's that took place on Tuesday, APOEL beat ENAD with 93-76 and Omonia disqualified AEL after their win with 92-87. |
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