AEK edge Aris at Alexandreio
GREEK BASKET LEAGUE - ROUND 8
| Aris | 77 - 81 | AEK |
|---|---|---|
| (18 - 17) (33 - 39) (52 - 61) (77 - 81) |
The marquee matchup in the Greek Basket League on Saturday night saw AEK narrowly edge Aris 81-77 at the Alexandreio Melathron Nick Galis Hall in Thessaloniki...
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com!
Vince Hunter led the way as AEK stretched their domesticwinning streak to four games thanks to an 81-77 defeat of Aris in Thessaloniki on Saturday night.
The Dikefale grabbed the lead by halftime and padded that advantage in the third quarter before fending-off a late comeback attempt from Aris to hold on for their second straight win over their northern rivals.
Hunter’s16 points led all AEK scorers though AEK did have five other players reach double figures, including Malcom Griffin who finished with 13 points on the night.
Lefteris Bochoridis, who was a focal point for Aris’ offense, led all scorers on the night with 24 points while Lucky Jones was the only other Aris player to finish in double figures as he tallied 15 points.
Aris did grab an early lead in the first quarter with an 18-17 run in the first frame, but the home side failed to continue their momentum in the second frame as AEK began to dictate the tempo.
AEK’s ability to control the tempo paid dividends as the Athenians climbed in front 39-33 by halftime before padding their lead to 61-52 heading into the fourth quarter.
Aris did make a push to pull level in the final frame, but the Thessaloniki outfit couldn’t close the gap in the final frame as AEK did just enough to claim the win.
The loss means Aris are now winless in their last three league outings, with another tough test around the corner when Aris visit Promitheas in Patras next Saturday.
AEK, who have now won seven straight in all competitions, will hope to carry forward their momentum to the European stage when they visit Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel on Tuesday before returning home to host Lavrio in domestic action on Saturday.
