With a home victory for the Perestroika APOEL, the 4th match between the Blue and Yellows and Petrolina AEK ended tonight in Lefkotheo and thus, the ticket through the pair for the intersection of the positions 4&1, will be decided in a 5th and decisive match.
This will be held next Friday at the headquarters of AEK.
It was an exciting duel with the score at half-time at 44-44, while in the replay APOEL had the lead for almost the entire duration, until they finally reached the victory-levelling at 2-2 in the victories.
Leading for the winners was Pointer (21 points – 33 points).
With a continuous lead for AEK, the 1st period developed as the Larnaca team was better on both sides of the field and after leading 7-2 at the beginning, then opened the difference to +11, when they led 16-5, with Cooper, Nottage, providing several solutions in the attack.
Thus, at the end of the 1st period, AEK was ahead with 21-14.
APOEL started better in the 2nd period and initially, dropped the difference to the minimum value, when it was reduced to 25-24.
Pointer was providing solutions in the attack for his team, but then AEK increased the difference to +8 (38-30), but again APOEL came back and even just before 19′, they equalized for the first time (42-42), in a very interesting variation and while a little later APOEL also reached their first lead (44-42), before 44-44 which was the result in half time.
With a continuous lead for APOEL, the initial time points of the 3rd period progressed and in fact, the home team’s lead increased to +7, when shortly after the 25′ the home team took a 58-51 lead.
But then AEK showed a reaction and with a run that reached 11-2, they overtook 62-60, but immediately after, with a run of their own, that reached 7-0, APOEL overtook 67-62, at the same time that Whyte was giving points for the home team, as was Cooper for AEK.
At 30`, APOEL led 67-65 and thus the 4th period was expected with a lot of interest.
APOEL led 74-68 at the beginning of the 4th period, but with a 6-0 run, AEK equalized at 74-74.
But the home team led 81-74 shortly after 35′, while shortly after 37′, APOEL led 88-80 and now, the situation was difficult for AEK.
The visitors then trailed to 88-83, but in the thrilling closing stages APOEL held on to the lead until the end to claim victory 95-87.
Ten minutes: 14-21, 44-44, 67-65, 95-87.
Perestroika APOEL (Nicolas Papadopoulos): Goudelock 18 (1), Whyte 23 (3), Pointer 21 (4), Funderburg 11, Mantovanis 14, Mythillos, Koilaras 5 (1), Papamichail 3, Loukas.
Petrolina AEK (Christophoros Livadiotis): Hollingsworth 12, Cooper 20 (2), Nottage 11 (1), McKinnis 13, Hunt 13 (2), Giannaras 12 (2), Varsos 3 (1), Pantelis 3 (1), Diggs.