It was one of those unforgettable nights. Shorthanded from the beginning, down one more man in the fourth quarter when Leandro Bolmaro had to take a seat, Olimpia displayed all of its heart, soul and desire to defeat Panathinaikos Athens, 96-89, a seven-point margin that tell just a small fraction of the story. Olimpia led by as many as 23 points late in the third. When fatigue set late in the fourt, Panathinaikos attempted a furious rally that was never threatening. “We played a superb game offensively, we entered into our flow, we activated our best shooters,” Coach Peppe Poeta said. Olimpia outscored Panathinaikos 59-33 in the second and third period, after responding to a tough stretch in the first quarter. After starting the game well, leading 15-9 with Shavon Shields on fire (eight early points), Panathinaikos used its bench to come back, place a 14-0 run and lead by as many as nine points. Olimpia replied the first time, went down by eight again after Sloukas made a three to close the first and Kendrick Nunn added another to start the second. From that point on, it was Olimpia all over the floor.
Armoni Brooks had a sensational second quarter. He scored 20 points in the first half alone, made six threes, four of them consecutive. And the game proved to be decided essentially. He was unstoppable. He didn’t need to drive for once. He was unconscious. By the end of the night, he tied the club record for most threes in a game with eight. Olimpia led by 16 when he took a seat to save some energy. Panathinaikos’ first comeback took place late in the second, but Zach LeDay with a mid-range corner jumper and a block over TJ Short closed the half, saving a 10-point lead for Olimpia.
“The first five minutes of the third quarter when the crucial part of the game, because our defense was outstanding,” Coach Poeta remarked at the end. Shields had another impressive start, this time LeDay helped with a 10-point third quarter. When Brooks came back, Olimpia exploded to a 23-point lead. Panathinaikos was knocked out. In the fourth, the Greek team attempted a desperate rally, but Olimpia kept its poise and finished the game strong, despite losing Bolmaro in the process. While Brooks, LeDay and Shields combined to score 54 points and Josh Nebo had an all-energy game that finished with 10 points and five rebounds, it was a total team win. Quinn Ellis played 35 minutes and finished with eight points and eight assists. When he had to sit out, Marko Guduric acted as a nominal point-guard even when no other potential ball handlers were on the floor. He created for his teammates on his way to a six-assist night.
