On March 9, 1994 just a little before 10.00 p.m. the Alexandrion was a boiler.. The first leg of the Korac Cup Final and the anticipation of winning a second European title had brought more than 6.000 fans to support PAOK. The battle was huge and extremely tough. On one hand, Soulis Markopoulos (who had taken over the team in the middle of the season practically continuing the work Dusan Ivkovic’ work) and PAOK, on the other it was Bogdan Tanjevic and Stefanel Trieste and in the middle were the two officials of the game, the English Alan Richardson and the French Pascal Dorizon.
The game was heart-stopping, PAOK was leading 35-28 at half-time, but it took a bucket by Korfas at the end of the game for the team to go to Italy with a 9 point margin, winning the first final 75-66…
The rosters of the first final...
PΑΟΚ: Μamatziolas, Boudouris 2, Prelevic 10, Rentzias 2, Balogiannis, Korfas 11, Τsekos, Galakteros 12, Savic 15, Berry 23.
STEFANEL: Bodiroga 6, Gentile 7, Pilutti 7, Fucka 12, De Pol 2, Lampley 20, Cantarello 2, Calavita 10.
One week later, on March 16, 1994, the ‘black and white’ gave all they had. Total basketball, a perfect game, a second victory, this time 100-91 and the Korac Cup lands in Thessaloniki for the first time. The two refs, the Spanish Vicente Sanchis and the Swiss Philippe Leemann will never forget that game, just like the few Greek fans that got to travel with the team and wildly celebrated the trophy upon the end of the game.
STEFANEL: Bodiroga 24, Gentile 23, Pilutti 13, Fucka 9, De Pol, Lampley 18, Bodetto, Cantarello 4, Calavita.
PΑΟΚ: Boudouris 12 (2/2 threes), Prelevic 30 (3/3 threes), Balogiannis, Κorfas 16 (2/4 threes), Galakteros 8 (2/2 threes), Savic 8, Berry 26.
THE ROAD TO THE FINAL
The road to winning the Korac Cup started out on October 27, 1993 from Samara, Russia. PAOK won 81-77 and the second leg was an easy task. Another victory for PAOK, 101-56 at the Alexandrion (03/11/1993) and the team qualified for the group stage. PAOK participates the Group C, together with Caja San Fernando, Recoaro Milan, KK Zagreb and begins its games from Spain. An 87-82 victory against Caja San Fernando in Sevilla (Prelevic 26p., Savic 12 reb, Korfas 4 assists). Second game on the road and a loss this time in Milan to Recoaro (76-74, Berry 35p., 21 reb.). On December 8, 1993, PAOK hosts KK Zagreb in Thessaloniki winning 84-70, with another victory following up at home, this time against Caja San Fernando, 92-89 (Berry 26 p., Savic 17 reb.) 1994 begins with a 71-67 victory against Recoaro Milan (Berry 22p., 15 reb.) and PAOK finishes its group games with a 91-77 win in Zagreb (Berry 30p., 7 reb.)
PAOK wins top rank of the group with 11 points (5-1 record) while Recoaro Milan is in the second place (4-2). Both teams qualified for the next round of the Korac Cup, with PAOK having to overcome the obstacle of Scavolini. A loss with a 16 point margin in Pesaro (82-66), but an amazing turnaround in the second leg. PAOK crashes the Italian team by 38 (final score 96-58, Prelevic 23p., Savic 12 reb.) and qualifies for the semis.
Panionios is the next opponent in the first civil war in the history of Greek basketball on a European level. Although PAOK is trailing 48-34 halfway through the first game, the team turns the game around and wins 85-83 (Berry 25, Korfas 16, Savic 15, Prelevic 14, Balogiannis 12, Galakteros 3). The second leg is no easy task. Panionios is once again leading at half-time (31-34), but PAOK is unstoppable in the second half. The team scores 51 points, wins the game 82-64 (Galakteros 22, Berry 19, Korfas 18, Prelevic 9, Boudouris 7, Savic 7) and wins qualification for the home and away games of the Korac Cup final…
