Upper Darby, PA – With just two ticks left on the clock in regulation play, the Warriors Nick Karalis crossed the half court line where he was double teamed by Danny’s Boys defenders. Karalis leaped up over the outstretched arms and threw up a desperation shot from deep inside three-point territory. It hit nothing but net! The final bucket in regulation play tied the game, and the Warriors led by Karalis went on to an overtime upset over 1st place Danny’s Boys.
Warriors 86, Danny’s Boys 78
In arguable the best PGBL game of the year, the Warriors came out determined and hungry to prove themselves. After trading buckets with Danny’s Boys in the first minutes of play, the Warriors jumped out to a 26.9 dominating lead. Nick Karalis was everywhere, sticking jumpers and dominating the boards on offense and defense. His team was in rhythm, and it seemed that nothing could stop them. But the Boys fought back. Dimitri Poulimenos started crashing the boards, and Chris Nikolas was dropping three point bombs. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Pete Kathopoulis turned on the pressure with his fast break offense scoring 36 points and razzling the Warriors. The Boys had returned the favor, by going on a 27-8 run and taking back the lead at the end of the half, 39-36.
Back and forth they went in the second half. Every time the Boys pulled away, the Warriors fought back. As the minutes faded away, the Warriors stayed close and more determined to make a game out of this evening. Their scrappy and sometimes aggressive play frustrated the Boys. The Warriors took advantage of some late technical fouls and sticking a few opportunities shots. Nick Karalis was everywhere the team needed him to be and made it each chance count. He led the Warriors with 31 points as they improved to 5-5. But more importantly, they proved that they would be in thick of things when the playoffs come around.
PAS Giannina 47, Hellas 40
PAS Giannina is for real. It’s been a busy and big season for this team that seems to found a way to win last night against Hellas. Their solid ball control throughout the evening and their confident offense gave them another victory. Now at 6-3 they have a commanding hold of fourth place. For Hellas, a solid effort was not enough. Falling behind early, they managed to close the lead to 5 with just two minutes left. A couple of missed opportunities would have brought the game within a bucket and given them a chance to bring home a desperately needed win. But missed foul shots late in the game ended up being the difference. Evan Tsakalidis of PAS Giannina led all scores with 21 points.
Boardwalk Empire 63, Lakers 58
In game three, Boardwalk Empire met up with the Lakers. Boardwalk Empire controlled the whole game despite some great runs by the Lakers. It was a very good game that featured great competition between the two teams. But the Boardwalk Empire out hustled the Lakers and brought home the victory. Boardwalk Empire improved its record to 4-5 while Lakers dropped to 2-9.