Colossus 86, Maroussi 62

No surprises here — Colossus (15-6) took care of business against young Maroussi, which had two 17-year-olds in the starting lineup. The home team opened with a 12-2 run and controlled the game throughout. The final score was 86-62.

It was one-win Maroussi’s 20th loss on the season. Their final three games are against opponents with records under .500, so they have at least a shot at another victory. Since defeating Peristeri, they’ve lost to Panathinaikos (19-2) and now Colossus.

Maroussi might want to strongly consider eliminating the 3-point shot from its offensive repertoire. They connected on just 3 of 21 attempts. That’s after going 5 of 25 last week. Meanwhile, they shot 54 percent inside the arc.

Prodromos Nikolaidis led Maroussi with 22 points. Usually a 3-point specialist, he sank just one of seven tries, but was 7 of 11 inside the 3-point line. He also had 4 steals but committed 8 turnovers. Lefteris Akepsimaidis added 16 points in the loss.

Maroussi had just 7 first-half rebounds and scored only 9 points in the second quarter. Colossus led 47-26 at the half.

Steve Panos led Colossus with 16 points, 14 of which came in the first half. The Weber State alum was 6 of 6 from the field. Scotty Hopson finished with 14 points and 3 rebounds. Ruben Boykin chipped in with 11 points and 7 rebounds. Marcus Hatten added 5 points.

Dimitrios Agravanis turned in another strong performance for Maroussi. The 17-year-old center recorded 9 points and 9 rebounds, just short of a double-double. He also had two blocks. He started and played 35 minutes. Agravanis was coming off a 15-point game against Panathinaikos.

Fellow teenager Lampros Tsontzos got into early foul trouble. He finished with 2 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block. Andreas Kanonidis had eight rebounds off the bench.

Why Maroussi? Five reasons to care

Maroussi was a Top 16 Euroleague team just two years ago. Then the money stopped flowing. They’re now 0-15 and one of their top players just defected to France. No Greek A1 team has ever gone winless for the season. They’ll almost certainly be relegated to a lower division next year. So, why care? Five reasons:

5. The Greek financial crisis. The club’s owner (who is no longer the club president) is in the construction business, which has ground to a halt during the country’s financial crisis. No business = no euros for team (especially players). It’s more complicated than that, but you get the picture.

4. FIBA’s influence. European clubs have long treated player contracts like suggestions, rather than agreements. Now, players and their agents have smartened up. They include a clause in their contracts, giving either side the right to seek arbitration through FIBA. Former Maroussi player Jared Homan won his case — FIBA ruled that Maroussi owed him about $110,000. Maroussi didn’t pay, so FIBA imposed a ban on signing new players.

3. The fans. After one recent loss — Maroussi missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer — a group of fans walked across the court to the Maroussi bench, where they applauded the players’ effort and consoled them with handshakes and words of encouragement. That was cool.

2. Greek basketball. It’s bad. Financially, anyway. It’s not just Maroussi. Other teams have been slapped with FIBA bans because they owe money. Greece used to be one of the top leagues — if not the best — in Europe. It might not be in the top 5 right now. Like Maroussi, it’s hard to envision its survival.

1. The players. They’re the ultimate underdogs. Most teams have three or four imports (usually American). Maroussi has one, and he’s thinking about leaving. They have just 6 pro players on the roster (Homan-FIBA issue). If starters get into foul trouble, the coach inserts teenagers and crosses his fingers. Here’s the thing — they’re good. They have the #2 scorer in the league and the point guard is the league’s assists leader. In the games I’ve seen, they bust their asses.

Introduction

I’m Ken Maguire, a freelance writer. I love sports and stories. Maroussi is a combination of both. I’m putting together this blog in my free time. It’s a project.