By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS – After briefly losing control in the third quarter, Unicaja recovered to beat AEK Betsson, 71-65.
Prevailing in Sunel Arena on Friday, the defending champions sealed a ticket to the championship game of the Basketball Champions League Final Four powered by Sunel. Galatasaray previously clinched a berth in Sunday’s game.
After trailing for four minutes, the visiting side put up 11 unanswered points and peaked at a seven-point cushion en route to a four-point lead at the break. Eight of Ibon Navarro’s players were already on the board, including Dylan Osetkowski with eight points. Meanwhile, defensive work kept explosive guard Hunter Hale at zero points in the first half.
With his side becoming the first team to win across the first three fixtures opposite the Queen in league history, Osetkowski finished with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. His triple restored the lead with 3:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. Following up with another three-pointer, Kendrick Perry put Unicaja in front for good, launching a late 9-0 run. In addition to Nihad Djedovic, the Malaga outfit ruled out Melvin Ejim for the Semifinals.
Hale ended up with nine points, including the only three-pointer of the evening for AEK. His resurgence combined with the home side reaching a seven-point advantage after an 8-0 run in the third period. With momentum eventually switching to the opposite end, the Greek club was forced to settle in a third-place contest versus La Laguna Tenerife.
Grant Golden was the top scorer with 19 points. Joshua Obiesie and Nikos Arsenopoulos were healthy scratches for the team coached by Dragan Sakota, while Zois Karampelas stayed on the bench.
Photo Credit: FIBA