Athinaikos Clinch Top Spot in EuroCup Women Group with 77–69 Win Over Chorzów
Through Thursday’s 77–69 victory against Poland’s Chorzów, the Greek women’s basketball club Athinaikos secured the first position in Group 10 of the EuroCup Women. As a result, they closed the initial phase of the competition with a record of 5–1 and a strong impression of their performance.
Athinaikos immediately took command of the match. Their outside shooting was on point as they made five of their eight three-point shots. It was also the great handling and distribution by Holly Winterburn that gave the team the upper hand and the home squad finished the first period with a 27–22 lead.
As the clock was winding down, the Greek team increased their lead. With the assistance of Morgan Bertsch and Borislava Hristova, the offensive players were able to penetrate the defense and, meanwhile, Vasso Louka kept the defensive side. At the break, they had already built a very comfortable 51–35 lead.
The Greek side did not drop the reins in the third period and extended the lead to as much as 18 points while the Chorzów went ice-cold in combating. Moreover, it was also a big blow for the Polish side as one of their players had to leave the match, thus making the comeback even more improbable.
Nevertheless, Chorzów was determined to turn the tide. Towards the end of the quarter, Athinaikos allowed the Polish team to go on a 14–0 run which closed the gap to 65–60 as their defense was not up to the mark. The final period was a nerve-wracking one as things took a completely different turn and Chorzów even thought that the victory could be stolen.
The moment Athinaikos’ coach decided to call a timeout was also the moment when everything fell back into place for the team. After the break, Kiss got the basket that stopped Chorzów from going on further with their run. Posting then a consecutive 6-0 run by Athinaikos confirmed the win. From there they slowed the pace of the final few minutes down and were able to keep the score at 77–69 and take the victory.
Thanks to a 5–1 record, Athinaikos becomes the leader of the playoff round with confidence. Basically, this group of players is a perfect example of offensive effectiveness coexisting with defensive toughness. Along with this, their ability to maintain composure and fight spirit at the moment of crisis when Chorzów were about to strike proves high psychology and maturity.
In simple terms, it is Athinaikos who are the firm contenders in the next league stage. They have several weapons to their disposal such as long-range shooting, attacking variations, and excellent defensive work. If their confidence and composure never falter, it will be extremely hard for them to lose.
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