By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Winning in Latvia two weeks ago, AEK wanted to double the successful encounters against VEF Riga, but this time in Athens. Without major concerns, they did what they wanted, beating the Latvians 80-70.
Coming off the bench for Dragan Sakota’s team, CJ Bryce led the black-and-yellow side with 15 points, shooting 5/8 from the field including 3/4 from beyond the arc. He also added 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
The team’s veteran Mindaugas Kuzminskas followed with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. If that wasn’t enough, scoring specialist Hunter Hale and Nahiem Alleyne each put up 11 points for the Greeks.
VEF Riga, which is playing without the injured veteran Dairis Bertans, was heavily dragged by Issuf Sanon. The Ukrainian guard tried his best with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, but he wasn’t enough for his team to pick up the win.
The 20-year-old Peteris Pinnis came off the bench and delivered with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Harrison Cleary, instead, finished with a losing effort of 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
AEK got the job done by limiting the opponents’ three-point capabilities, as VEF Riga collectively shot 5/21 (23.81%) from downtown. The hosts, instead, found an excellent contribution from non-starters, producing 53 points off the bench.
Post-game press conference:
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League