11.11.2003

Aris BSA Thessaloniki 88 - Skonto Riga 51

After 5 consecutive losses in both the Greek and FIBA Europe Leagues, Aris finally got their season back on track with victory tonight over Skonto.

In fact, the 2003 FIBA Europe Champions Cup winners were never challenged as they cruised to a 88:51 victory.

		Nestoras Kommatos pulls down one of his seven rebounds

More encouragingly for the Aris coaching staff, the main contributor to their win was young guard Alexandros Kyritsis. The 21 year old exploded for 25 points, hitting 10/12 shots from the field, including both of his 3-point attempts.

Kyritsis, who led the Greek second division in scoring last season, took the place of the injured Toby Bailey and he certainly justified the coach’s decision to put him in the starting line-up.

Germaine Jackson, brought in to replace guard Anthony Goldwire, was playing his first FEL game. He did not disappoint, dishing 7 assists and looking like a valuable pick-up for Aris.

Aris controlled the whole contest, taking advantage of their strong rebounding and perimeter defense to launch their fast break. Their superiority was reflected in the score, as they raced off to a 13:1 lead in the first 3 minutes.

Skonto struggled, but coach Guntis Endzels did not have a full side at his disposal, as talented young center Andris Biedrins was not able to play.

Aris led 43:28 at the half and did not let up on the onslaught after the break. They increased the lead to 42 points (84:42) before Skonto fought back to finish 88:51.

11.11.2003

Quotes Aris BSA Thessaloniki - Skonto

Guntis Endzels, Head Coach Skonto:

"First of all I would like to congratulate Aris for the win. This game was with 2 teams on different levels. I am sad about the way we played and I'm sorry if we dissapointed the fans."

Miroslav Páleník, Skonto:

"I agree with what the coach said. Our team is still very young and inexperienced. As soon as we found ourselves down by 15 points we abandoned the game."

Vaggelis Alexandris, Head Coach, Aris BSA Thessaloniki:

“We gave this game the attention that it needed, and presented an improved team. What we need now is a run of positive results so we can say that we are on the right track."

"Alexandros Kyritsis was very positive.  I had said that he would be ready by December.  He got his chance and couldn’t have taken advantage of it better.  His defense was excellent as well".

Alexandros Kyritsis, Aris BSA Thessaloniki:

"We needed this game to let off steam from some of the bad games we have had recently. This game was just what the doctor ordered to get us back on track. We still need to put in a lot of hard work, and things will be difficult against stronger teams that we will face in the future."