AEK beats Maroussi 91-70 behind 18 points from Nelly Joseph in Basket League opener

Opening round victory at Sunel Arena

AEK opened the new Greek Basket League season with a 91-70 home win over Maroussi at Sunel Arena on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Dragan Sakota secured the opening round result despite missing several players from his squad, with Lefteris Katsivelis, Brown, Fizelle, and Derrick Williams all sidelined. Maroussi was coached by Ilias Papatheodorou and entered the match without their primary scorer Jordan Walker, which limited their perimeter production.

First half progression

The contest began evenly with both teams tied at 8-8 after three minutes and Maroussi briefly taking a 10-9 lead through Zeb Jackson. AEK elevated their defensive intensity, holding Maroussi to two points over the final four and a half minutes of the period following the introduction of point guard Thomas Heurtel. A 9-2 run driven by Landers Nolley, Nelly Joseph, and DeAndre Pinckney put AEK ahead 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Maroussi narrowed the gap to 25-22 in the 15th minute after four straight points from Ioannis Touliatos. AEK answered quickly as Lukas Lekavicius and Frank Bartley generated scoring opportunities, allowing the hosts to build their first double-digit lead at 37-24 in the 16th minute. Joseph added interior baskets late in the quarter to send AEK into halftime with a 46-34 advantage.

Second half control and closing stretch

Maroussi attempted a comeback early in the third quarter as Silvio De Sousa and Touliatos trimmed the deficit to 50-42 by the 23rd minute, and later to 54-46 at the 25th minute. AEK responded with a putback from Joseph at the 27th minute to restore a fourteen-point lead at 60-46, maintaining that cushion to enter the fourth quarter leading 64-50.

The home side pulled away further in the final quarter behind eight points from Giannoulis Larentzakis and steady backcourt distribution. A three-pointer by Heurtel stretched the lead to twenty points at 85-65 in the 38th minute. In the final seconds, 16-year-old guard Vassilis Chartonas, born in 2008, scored the final basket of the match to conclude the 91-70 scoreline.

Statistical breakdown and upcoming schedule

AEK finished the contest with 20 assists against 10 turnovers while dominating the interior. Joseph led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from two-point range and 6 rebounds across 25 minutes. Nolley scored 14 points, Pinckney posted 11 points and 8 rebounds, and Georgios Tsalmpouris added 11 points, while Dimitris Flionis contributed 6 points and 4 assists. For Maroussi, Jackson recorded 17 points and 6 rebounds, De Sousa had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Antonis Koniaris provided 8 assists. Maroussi converted only 6 of 21 three-point attempts.

AEK will next travel to Thessaloniki to face Aris at Alexandreio in round two, while Maroussi hosts Mykonos Betsson. In the other Saturday afternoon league match, Kolossos Rhodes claimed a 91-75 victory over Doxa Lefkadas.