A light training for the reds…
The first sample of the season was excellent for Olympiacos. The team of Giorgos Bartzokas beat Olimpija Ljubljana 78-41 in the first friendly game of the season and had the opportunity to lighten up the schedule following a tough pre-season camp.
Darden, Hunter and Mouratos made their debut performance with the reds. The next game for Olympiacos is scheduled for Tuesday, at 21:00 against Venetia.
Our team began the game with Vassilis Spanoulis scoring the first basket of the new season. The ‘reds’ playing excellent defense kept Olimpija Lljubljana at 11 points in the first quarter, while at the same time Petway, Spanoulis, Hunter and Lojeski were doing a good offensive job and thus the first quarter ended with Olympiacos leading 24-11.
Darden and Dunston offered solutions in the offense in the second quarter, the team captain, Vassilis Spanoulis continued passing assists and scoring, Kavvadas and Katsivelis were helping and thus at 19’ following a bucket by Katsivelis the score was 42-24, which was the greatest lead the Piraeus team had up to that moment in the game. Vassilis Spanoulis made 44-24 scoring his 14th point at the game and half time ended there.
Giorgos Bartzokas tried different rotations in the second half, but the tempo never slowed down. The Piraeus team continued broadening the margin with the third quarter ending 65-37. Fatigue was obvious in the last quarter, the tempo was slower, but the ‘reds’ did not allow the Slovenians score more than four points and Olympiacos won 78-41.
The quarters: 24-11, 44-24, 65-37, 78-41
Olympiacos (Bartzokas): Petway 9 (1 3p, 6reb, 3as), Hunter 7 (6 reb), Dunston 5 (4reb), Spanoulis 14 (4 3p, 3as, 3reb), Sloukas 7 (2as, 2reb), Mouratos, Simmons 2 (1reb), Lojeski 10 (2 3p, 5reb, 2as), Agravanis 5 (1 3p, 4reb), Mantzaris 2 (1as), Kavvadas 6 (2reb), Katsivelis 4, Darden 7 (3reb, 3as).
Olimpija Ljubljana (Pipan): Marinovic 2, Hrovac, Saline 9 (2), Ilonov 7, Rupnic 6 (1), Marinelli, Mahkouvic, Kanasevic 12 (1), Omic 5.
GIORGOS BARTZOKAS: «In regard to spirit and will to play the first sample was satisfactory. I think the two teams differ in dynamics. But the guys were very keen in doing all the staff we have been working on, but there are also things we need to improve”.