Aris certain to finish third as AEK stumbles in Basket League

Aris has all but sealed the third spot in the regular season of the Basket League, after its triumph at Patra and AEK's surprise loss at Rethymno. For Olympiakos and Panathinaikos it was business as usual.

Jerel McNeal scored 17 points and distributed five assists leading Aris to a 73-65 win at Apollon Patras on Saturday, while AEK let its lead slip at Rethymno to go down 70-69 to the local side that has mathematically stayed up and risen to sixth.

Leader Olympiakos thrashed Kifissia 97-59 at home on Monday, remarkably holding its visitor to zero points in the entire third quarter (21-0). Panathinaikos had no problems at home with Korivos Amaliadas, winning 88-76 on Sunday.

The Reds and the Greens are on 45 points with three rounds of games remaining, while Aris is on 41 and AEK on 39.

Arkadikos scored a huge win that has kept its hopes for survival alive, as its home 79-66 win over Trikala has turned the next game between Korivos and Arkadikos at Amaliada on March 26 into the final for survival, while Trikala is not out of harm’s yet either.

Kavala remained bottom suffering a 98-79 loss at Kolossos Rhodes, and Lavrio upset host PAOK at Thessaloniki as it came from behind to win 75-69.

In the women’s game, Olympiakos earned the first Greek Cup in the team's… one-year-long history, beating Panathinaikos 63-60 in Sunday’s final on Lefkada. Olympiakos had not had a women’s basketball division until last year when it bought out Elliniko.

The night before the final Panathinaikos fans who came from nearby Mesolonghi stormed the hotel where the Olympiakos supporters stayed, attacked them and vandalized the hotel. Police made six arrests.