Al Rayyan's Justin Jamel Wright-Foreman (right) in action yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Former Utah Jazz NBA pick Justin Jamel Wright-Foreman put up a dazzling performance which included scoring 40 points, six rebounds and an assist as leaders Al Rayyan sealed a dominant 107-81 win over Qatar SC in the Qatar Basketball League yesterday.
The win in the 10th round of the League at the Al Gharafa Hall elevated Al Rayyan’s tally to 19 points, extending their lead at the top of the standings by three points over Al Sadd who are placed second. Qatar SC, meanwhile, remain in fifth place and are tied with Al Shamal SC at 14 points.
Al Rayyan quickly established their dominance as they took a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter (33-23). Led by Wright-Foreman, Al Rayyan surged ahead taking a 53-39 lead at the end of second period. Qatar SC’s best attack, led by Dejan Janic and Jordan Rawis, came in the third quarter in which they were behind by just two points (21-23), but Al Rayyan held firm, enjoying a fourth quarter (31-21) to win the match by 26 points.
For Al Rayyan, who are chasing their 19th League title, Abdulla Yassin Mousa (23 points, six rebounds and two assists) and Demarquis D’Angelo Bost (six points, four rebounds and 11 assists) also made notable contributions.
Janic added 31 points for Qatar SC, also making 10 rebounds and four assists, while Rawis chipped in with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Also yesterday, Al Ahli edged past Al Khor with a narrow 74-73 win. The thrilling encounter saw the two teams engaging in a see-saw battle. Al Khor started strongly, taking a 20-12 lead in the first quarter before Al Ahli fought back, outscoring Al Khor 15-14 in the next period.
The third quarter saw Al Khor regain control, scoring 27 points against Al Ahli’s 20 to lead 61-47.
However, Al Ahli launched a fierce comeback in the final quarter, scoring 27 points. Al Khor only managed to add 12 as Al Ahli won the match by a single point.
Despite ending up on the losing side, Billy Joel Hardy of Al Khor was the top scorer of the match with an impressive 35 points. Raekwon Deshawn Rogers was named the Most Valuable Player after he scored 22 points and made 12 rebounds and three assists.
This win took Al Ahli’s total to 15 points from nine matches as they occupy the third spot in the standings, while Al Khor remain at the bottom with 10 points from nine matches.
