Kolossos Rhodes secured the first victory in their history in European competition by defeating Romanian side Universitatea Craiova 77-65 in the opening round of the FIBA Europe Cup.
The Greek team recovered after a difficult start in which they trailed 19-12 at the end of the first quarter and 22-12 early in the second period. Kolossos fought back by sharpening their defence, led by top scorer Kamberidis, who posted 16 points while making five of his six three-point attempts.
The squad, managed by head coach Aris Lykogiannis, reduced the deficit to 35-32 by half-time before taking the lead for the first time at 48-46 in the third quarter. Kolossos entered the final period holding a 52-46 advantage and executed in the fourth quarter to complete the 77-65 win.
Scoring details and team statistics
Kamberidis topped the scoring list for Kolossos with 16 points. Willis added 14 points with two three-pointers, Kreuzer scored 11 points with one three-pointer, and Mannion contributed 10 points. Barnett scored eight points with two three-pointers, Harris had seven points with two three-pointers, and Upson added five points. Karampelas, Tsiakmas, and Stevenson scored two points each, while Efstathiadis and Kalaitzakis also featured on the floor.
For Craiova, led by head coach Zare Markovski, Polit led all scorers in the match with 24 points, including one three-pointer. Gordon and Lili each registered 10 points with two three-pointers. Bobrun added seven points, Dishman scored five points, and Davis scored four points with one three-pointer. Tibirna scored three points with one three-pointer, while Muresan scored two points. Toma and Nistor also appeared for the visitors.
Club profile and tournament context
Kolossos Rhodes B.C. is a Greek professional basketball club based on the island of Rhodes, competing in Greece's top-tier Basketball League. Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian basketball club based in Craiova, competing in Romania's top league, the Liga Națională. The FIBA Europe Cup is an annual continental European competition organized by FIBA Europe for professional clubs.
