Doha, Qatar: Defending champions Al Sadd yesterday defeated Al Ahli 79-62 to spice up race for the semi-final spots in Group 1 of the Amir Cup basketball tournament at Al Gharafa Sports Club.
Al Sadd’s victory – the first defeat for Al Ahli in the event after three consecutive wins – came after Al Gharafa prevailed over Al Shamal 80-75 in yesterday’s first game.
Both Al Sadd and Al Ahli were tied 16-16 in the first half before the title holders built a 10-point lead, closing the second session at 38-28. They extended their lead in the third period as they led 64-35 going into the last quarter. Al Ahli fought hard to make a comeback and scored 27 points but Al Sadd held on to their lead to claim vital points.
Faisal Nabil Abuissa and Darrin Ray Dorsey were top scorers for the winners with 16 points and 15 points respectively. D’mitrik Alexander Trice (15 points) and Ndoye Elhadj Seydou (14 points) were the main performers for Al Ahli.
Despite the loss, Al Ahli stayed on top in the group with seven points followed by Al Gharafa and Al Sadd, who have five points each.
Yesterday, Al Gharafa were boosted by a fine show from Charles Justin Aiken, who had 20 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Kenneth Edward Brown Jr was also impressive earning 16 points besides registering seven rebounds and nine assists for Al Gharafa.
After securing a 24-23 lead in the first period, Al Gharafa displayed a strong show following the break building a 44-34 lead in the second quarter. Al Shamal were better in the penultimate session reducing the lead to 53-60 but Al Ghafara stayed ahead to collect full points.
The Group 1 semi-finalists will be decided on Saturday with Al Gharafa set to take on Al Khor, while Al Sadd will play Al Shamal in their last group match.
Today’s matches will see Group 2 teams in action with Al Wakrah and Al Arabi to square off in the first match before Al Rayyan and Qatar SC will meet in the second match.
Al Wakrah are leading the group with four points followed by Al Rayyan and Al Arabi, who have three points each.
