A win over ΑΕΚ and a perfect 9/9 record for the Stoiximan GBL
Olympiacos defeated AEK 100–93 for the 9th round of the Stoiximan GBL and remained alone at the top of the league with a 9/9 record.
The team’s top scorer was Frank Ntilikina with 14 points, while overall, Olympiacos had five players scoring double figures. For AEK, Chris Silva was outstanding with 31 points, though they were ultimately not enough.
Giorgos Bartzokas chose Walkup, Dorsey, Ward, Vezenkov, and Milutinov for his starting lineup and, despite Dorsey’s on point 3-pointer early in the game, Olympiacos entered the match very sluggishly. Our team was limited to seven points after five minutes, while during the same stretch the game was marked by one-on-one match ups between Hall and Silva.
As the first quarter progressed, AEK raised its performance and, with Arms as the key contributor, took a six-point lead (18–24) by its end.
In the second quarter, Olympiacos increased the intensity of its defense, and the entrance of Donta Hall proved decisive. The American center helped greatly in the rebounding department and under the basket (8 points and 6 rebounds in the first half), while Peters and Papanikolaou were excellent from the perimeter and put Olympiacos in the driver’s seat (36–32 in the 16th minute).
In the remaining time of the first half, Olympiacos played excellent basketball and stretched the lead to 15 points (51–36).
During halftime, the senior "Walking Basketball" team took to the court and, with the baskets they scored, formed the number “18” to show the entire arena crowd how many days remained until Christmas. This was the second event of the day, as earlier Paralympian Nikos Papaggelis had spoken to our young fans.
In the second half, Olympiacos continued at a high tempo and, with Sasha Vezenkov leading the offense, helping maintain the lead at around 15 points. The MVP of last season’s league became the team’s first double-figure scorer in the third quarter, followed by Frank Ntilikina, who finished the game with 14 points and delivered one of his best performances in an Olympiacos jersey.
For AEK, Chris Silva stood out in the second half, “carrying” his team, and thanks to his efforts the lead dropped to six (94–88), 70 seconds before the end. The Gabonese center finished the game with 31 points and was by far the top scorer of the game, but Olympiacos, with Lee and Papanikolaou, found the necessary offensive solutions and closed the game ideally, reaching the final 100–93.
The quarters: 18–24, 51–36, 75–60, 100–93.
