AEK dominate third quarter for crucial win over Venezia
ATHENS (Basketball Champions League) - AEK secured an important 84-64 win over Umana Reyer Venezia to give them the tie-breaker as both teams are now 5-4 in Group C.
The home side dominated the third period, 28-11, to turn a five-point halftime lead into a 22-point margin heading into the final period where they would cruise to the win and leave Venezia looking for answers.
Final Score!#AEKBC #AEKVEN pic.twitter.com/Bc1ch6MyGu
— AEK B.C. (@aekbcgr) December 20, 2017
Umana Reyer are now 0-6 in the Basketball Champions League and Serie A in December.
"We closed the first two quarters in a good position, but we played a terrible third quarter where AEK played really aggressive on defence, putting the hands on the body," a disappointed Venezia Head Coach Walter De Raffaele commented.
"We stopped attacking, we stopped using our skills on offence, but especially we stopped playing defence tough and aggressive.
"Unfortunately it's not the first time that has happened, so this is something we have to work on and really understand. Then the fourth quarter was not really a game, it was garbage time where we used to play players coming back from injury.
"AEK deserved to win this game, they played better."
Mike Green had a 19-point and 10-assist, Dimitris Mavroeidis also had 19 points along with 9 rebounds whilst missing a single shot, and Dusan Sakota added 10 points.
Mitchell Watt's 13 points and 14 rebounds were not enough for Venezia, and neither were 12 points-a-piece from Peric and Johnson, with the latter going 4-of-18 from the field.
AEK led 17-11 after the opening quarter behind the play of Mavroedis who registered 10 points early.
A 13-7 start to the second period saw AEK extend their lead to 30-18. A big dunk and-1 from Barlow added insult to injury as AEK took a 15 point lead, 35-20.
Things looked like they were going to get ugly in the second with AEK firmly in control before Venezia managed to steady the ship. Haynes hit a pull up three with just 3 seconds left before the break to pull the visitors within five, 42-37 at halftime and they appeared to be back in the game before AEK's dominant third period.
