A1 Round 7: Promitheas are upset by Rethymno

Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The game between second ranked Promitheas (5-2) and thirteenth ranked Rethymno (2-5) was the most important one in the last round on Saturday night. Promitheas was defeated by Rethymno in a tough game in Rethymno 63-70. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Promitheas. Promitheas trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 25-20 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 63-70 at the end of the game. Naturalized Cypriot Andreas Christodoulou (197-95) fired 16 points for the winners. American point guard Conner Frankamp (185-95, college: Wichita St.) chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. American point guard Langston Hall (193-91, college: Mercer, agency: Octagon Europe) produced 15 points and 6 assists for lost side. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Rethymno moved-up to tenth place, which they share with PAOK and Panionios. Promitheas at the other side dropped to the third position with two games lost. They share it with Lavrio. Rethymno is looking forward to face PAOK (#11) in Thessaloniki in the next round. Promitheas will play at home against Panionios (#10) and is hoping to win this game.
Larissa BC can celebrate finally their first win this season after six consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as it came on the road game in Rodou, where they edged Kolossos HH (3-4) 83-80. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Terell Parks (205-91, college: W.Illinois) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 8 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Nontas Papantoniou contributed with 14 points and 9 assists for the winners. American-Liberian guard Lasan Kromah (198-91, college: Connecticut) answered with 26 points for Kolossos HH. Kolossos HH's coach Aris Likogiannis tried various players' combinations and tested in total twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Despite that victory Larissa BC went down to fourteenth position due to points difference. Kolossos HH at the other side dropped to the seventh place with four games lost. They share the position with AEK and Iraklis. Larissa BC will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kolossos HH will play on the road against Ionikos Nikaias (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Undefeated leader Panathinaikos delivered the eighth consecutive victory on Saturday night. This time they crushed 5th ranked Ionikos Nikaias (4-3) 107-71 in Athens. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Ionikos Nikaias. It was a great evening for Konstantinos Mitoglou who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. At the losing side Loukas Mavrokefalidis responded with 23 points and 5 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws). The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Undefeated Panathinaikos (8-0) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with a perfect record of 8 victories in a row. Newly promoted Ionikos Nikaias keeps the fifth position with three games lost. They share it with Ifestos. Panathinaikos will meet at home Iraklis (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ionikos Nikaias will play against Kolossos HH and hope to secure a win.

Other games of round 7 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Aris was crushed by Ifestos in Keratsiniou 85-59. Iraklis was beaten by AEK at home 68-77. Lavrio won against Panionios on the opponent's court 77-71. Peristeri GS managed to outperform PAOK in a home game 80-75.

Ifestos - Aris 85-59

There was no surprise in Keratsiniou where 12th ranked Aris (2-6) was crushed by sixth ranked Ifestos (4-3) 85-59 on Saturday. The game without a history. Ifestos led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Ifestos forced 19 Aris turnovers. It was a great evening for American Sean Evans (203-88, college: St.John's) who led his team to a victory scoring 11 points and 7 rebounds. His fellow American import swingman Mario Little (198-87, college: Kansas) helped adding 18 points. Four Ifestos players scored in double figures. At the losing side Bosnian forward Milan Milosevic (204-85) responded with 16 points and 7 rebounds and Montenegrin forward Vladimir Dragicevic (206-86) scored 13 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Ifestos moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Ionikos Nikaias. Aris lost sixth consecutive game. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. Ifestos will again meet Aris (#13) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Aris will play against the league's second-placed Peristeri GS and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Ifestos: M.Little 18+1ast, J.Smith 15+2reb+1ast, M.Tsairelis 12+5reb+1ast, S.Evans 11+7reb+1ast, D.Haritopoulos 9+1ast, V.Moldoveanu 5+4reb+2ast
Aris: M.Milosevic 16+7reb+3ast, V.Dragicevic 13+4reb+1ast, V.Sakellariou 6+4reb+1ast, J.Morris 5+3reb+2ast, D.Flionis 5+4reb, G.Talton 5+2reb

Iraklis - AEK 68-77

There was a small surprise in Thessaloniki where ninth ranked AEK (3-4) defeated 7th ranked Iraklis (3-4) 77-68 on Saturday. Iraklis trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 16-14 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 68-77 at the end of the game. AEK made 26-of-32 free shots (81.3 percent) during the game. It was a great evening for American Keith Langford (193-83, college: Kansas) who led his team to a victory scoring 35 points (!!!). International point guard Nikos Gkikas (186-90, agency: Octagon Europe) helped adding 12 points. AEK's coach Ilias Papatheodorou used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side American forward Alex Davis (206-92, college: Fresno St.) responded with 16 points and 7 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) and the other American import Jamal Shuler (191-86, college: VCU) scored 11 points. AEK moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Iraklis and Kolossos HH. Iraklis lost third consecutive game. AEK will meet higher ranked Lavrio (#3) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Iraklis will play against the league's leader Panathinaikos (#1) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
AEK: K.Langford 35+2reb+2ast, N.Gkikas 12+2reb+2ast, S.Jankovic 10+1reb, D.Kaklamanakis 4+4reb, L.Chrysikopoulos 4+2reb, M.Chalmers 3
IRAKLIS: A.Davis 16+7reb, J.Shuler 11+4reb+1ast, O.Hanlan 10+2reb, T.Zaras 8+3reb+1ast, V.Kavvadas 6+6reb+2ast, T.Okereafor 5+3reb+4ast

Kolossos HH - Larissa BC 80-83

Larissa BC can celebrate finally their first win this season after six consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as it came on the road game in Rodou, where they edged Kolossos HH (3-4) 83-80. Kolossos HH was ahead by 4 points at the halftime before a 22-14 third quarter run of Larissa BC. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Terell Parks (205-91, college: W.Illinois) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 8 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Point guard Nontas Papantoniou (192-90) contributed with 14 points and 9 assists for the winners. American-Liberian guard Lasan Kromah (198-91, college: Connecticut) answered with 26 points and American point guard Tyrone Brazelton (184-86, college: WKU, agency: Higher Vision Sports) added 11 points and 10 assists in the effort for Kolossos HH. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Kolossos HH's coach Aris Likogiannis tried various players' combinations and tested in total twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Despite that victory Larissa BC went down to fourteenth position due to points difference. Kolossos HH at the other side dropped to the seventh place with four games lost. They share the position with AEK and Iraklis. Larissa BC will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kolossos HH will play on the road against Ionikos Nikaias (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Larissa BC: T.Parks 19+8reb+2ast, N.Papantoniou 14+4reb+9ast, S.Reynolds 13+2reb+2ast, J.Floyd 10+3reb, J.Berhanemeskel 8+3reb+1ast, D.Harris 8+3reb+1ast
Kolossos HH: L.Kromah 26+3reb+2ast, D.Jackson 12+1reb+2ast, T.Brazelton 11+3reb+10ast, D.Agbelese 11+3reb+1ast, G.Tsalmpouris 8+2reb+1ast, D.Moraitis 6+1ast

Panathinaikos - Ionikos Nikaias 107-71

Undefeated leader Panathinaikos delivered the eighth consecutive victory on Saturday night. This time they crushed 5th ranked Ionikos Nikaias (4-3) 107-71 in Athens. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Ionikos Nikaias. The game without a history. Panathinaikos led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Ionikos Nikaias' 20. They outrebounded Ionikos Nikaias 38-24 including a 33-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Panathinaikos shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 53.8 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for international Konstantinos Mitoglou (208-96, college: Wake Forest) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. American-Montenegrin point guard Tyrese Rice (185-87, college: Boston Coll.) helped adding 21 points. Four Panathinaikos players scored in double figures. At the losing side the former international center Loukas Mavrokefalidis (207-84, agency: Network Sports International) responded with 23 points and 5 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws) and American guard Jamal Jones (203-93, college: Texas A&M, agency: Network Sports International) scored 16 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Panathinaikos (8-0) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with a perfect record of 8 victories in a row. Newly promoted Ionikos Nikaias keeps the fifth position with three games lost. They share it with Ifestos. Panathinaikos will meet at home Iraklis (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ionikos Nikaias will play against Kolossos HH and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Panathinaikos: T.Rice 21+2reb+2ast, D.Thomas 14+2reb+1ast, K.Mitoglou 14+10reb+2ast, N.Pappas 12+1reb+6ast, J.Wiley 10+4reb+1ast, G.Papagiannis 9+7reb+1ast
Ionikos Nikaias: L.Mavrokefalidis 23+5reb, J.Jones 16+1reb+1ast, G.Dimakos 10+3reb+1ast, B.Stith 7+2reb, E.Lawrence 4+3reb+5ast, V.Charalampopoulos 4+6reb+3ast

Panionios - Lavrio 71-77

Very expected game in Athens where 11th ranked Panionios (2-5) was defeated by fourth ranked Lavrio (5-2) 77-71 on Saturday. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. It was a great evening for American guard Quenton DeCosey (196-93, college: Temple) who led his team to a victory scoring 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Petros Geromichalos (203-94) helped adding 6 points and 8 rebounds. Lavrio's coach Christos Serellis used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side Jamaican power forward Samardo Samuels (206-89, college: Louisville) responded with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and Georgios Kamperidis (195-99) scored 16 points and 6 rebounds. Lavrio moved-up to third place, which they share with Promitheas. Loser Panionios dropped to the tenth position with five games lost. They share it with PAOK and Rethymno. Lavrio will meet at home AEK (#7) in the next round. Panionios will play against Promitheas in Patras and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Lavrio: Q.DeCosey 22+8reb+4ast, G.Watson Jr. 10+1reb+2ast, T.Outlaw 9+2reb, V.Mouratos 8+2reb+3ast, P.Geromichalos 6+8reb, D.Davis 5+3reb
Panionios: T.Duren 18+3reb+1ast, S.Samuels 17+8reb+4ast, G.Kamperidis 16+6reb+1ast, D.Verginis 8+1reb+2ast, F.Lampropoulos 7+6reb+1ast, M.Pasalic 3+3reb+4ast

Rethymno - Promitheas 70-63

The game between second ranked Promitheas (5-2) and thirteenth ranked Rethymno (2-5) was the most important one in the last round on Saturday night. Promitheas was defeated by Rethymno in a tough game in Rethymno 63-70. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Promitheas. Promitheas trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 25-20 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 63-70 at the end of the game. Naturalized Cypriot Andreas Christodoulou (197-95) fired 16 points for the winners. American point guard Conner Frankamp (185-95, college: Wichita St.) chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. American point guard Langston Hall (193-91, college: Mercer, agency: Octagon Europe) produced 15 points and 6 assists and the other American import point guard Gerald Robinson (185-89, college: Georgia) added 12 points respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Rethymno moved-up to tenth place, which they share with PAOK and Panionios. Promitheas at the other side dropped to the third position with two games lost. They share it with Lavrio. Rethymno is looking forward to face PAOK (#11) in Thessaloniki in the next round. Promitheas will play at home against Panionios (#10) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Rethymno: A.Christodoulou 16+4reb+2ast, C.Frankamp 13+2reb+4ast, M.Kamperidis 9+2reb, D.Haughton 8+6reb, L.Murray Jr. 8+2reb+1ast, M.Lee 7+7reb+3ast
PROMITHEAS: L.Hall 15+4reb+6ast, G.Robinson 12+1reb+2ast, L.Kaselakis 8+6reb, M.Eleftherios 6+5reb, C.Fieler 6+1reb+1ast, D.Katsivelis 6+1reb

Peristeri GS - PAOK 80-75

Very predictable result in Athens where second ranked Peristeri GS (6-1) beat 10th ranked PAOK (2-5) 80-75 on Sunday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But PAOK won third quarter 18-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Peristeri GS looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for American guard Scoochie Smith (188-94, college: Dayton) who led his team to a victory scoring 15 points and 4 assists. Nigerian-American forward Moses Kingsley (208-94, college: Arkansas) helped adding 15 points. At the losing side American point guard JeQuan Lewis (185-94, college: VCU) responded with 13 points, 9 assists and 4 steals and the other American import forward Antwaine Wiggins (203-88, college: Charleston) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Peristeri GS maintains second place with 6-1 record having just three points less than leader Panathinaikos. Loser PAOK keeps the tenth position with five games lost. They share it with Panionios and Rethymno. Peristeri GS will meet Aris (#13) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. PAOK will play against Rethymno and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Peristeri GS: M.Kingsley 15+3reb+1ast, S.Smith 15+3reb+4ast, P.Vasilopoulos 8+4reb+1ast, W.Hatcher 7+2reb, C.Saloustros 7+4reb+1ast, B.Blake 6+4reb+5ast
PAOK: A.Smith 13+2reb+2ast, J.Lewis 13+2reb+9ast, A.Wiggins 11+11reb+1ast, Z.Knowles 9+4reb, E.Margaritis 9+3reb+2ast, A.Tsochlas 8+2reb+2ast



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