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29 January, 2017
02 February
Kevin Galloway
01/02/2017
News
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Galloway, Iraq target FIBA Asia Cup qualification

AMMAN (WABA Championship) - Iraq are on the cusp of ending a 30-year absence from Asian basketball's top event after beating Syria at the West Asian Basketball Championship.

Kevin Galloway, the team's naturalized guard from America who had 25 points in Tuesday's triumph, says Iraq are ready to come out of the wilderness and take up their spot at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017.

"I think we have a great chance to enter the FIBA Asia Cup which is our main goal and we will definitely maintain that," he said to FIBA.com. "Right now, we're at our strongest point and I think we'll win enough games to qualify."

As the host nation for the Asia Cup, which is to be played in August, WABA participants Lebanon are assured of a spot in the field. Four other places are up for grabs at this week's event in Amman, Jordan.

All did not go according to plan at the start for Iraq, who finished fourth at last year's FIBA Asia Challenge and had high hopes ahead of this week's WABA event. The team crashed to an 86-46 defeat to Lebanon on Sunday, the opening day.

"Lebanon was our first game and we couldn’t make shots, couldn’t make lay-ups nor free-throws," Galloway said. "We simply had a bad game."

Iraq then suffered a narrow 66-62 defeat to hosts Jordan while on Tuesday in their third game, they were in danger of falling to Syria.

Galloway, however, came to the rescue. After Syria closed the gap to 53-50 midway through the fourth quarter, the point guard struck from the arc to restore the six-point lead.

"Many countries are playing for a common goal and trying to win. The competition level is the same and teams are playing hard every game." - Galloway

The Syrians' Wael Jlilaty, who played less than eight minutes, drilled his second 3-ball with 2:48 remaining to again trim the deficit to just three points.

Galloway responded, though, with back-to-back 3-point daggers and Iraq went on to prevail, 66-53.

"The first game was kind of tough as you can see," he said, "but the second game we played better and the third game even better."

Win or lose, it's obvious that Galloway likes being on the court. The 28-year-old, who plays professionally in Lebanon for Homenetmen, remembers having a lot of fun last year with Iraq at the FIBA Asia Challenge. They beat Qatar, Thailand and China and finished fourth.

Galloway faced Iran at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge

"I enjoy and love to play basketball," he said. "I embrace playing overseas. I embrace playing with my teammates and learning about different cultures as well."

There are still two games to go for Iraq. They will take on Iran on Wednesday and then finish their WABA Championship on Thursday against Palestine.

Galloway says he takes the same approach into every game and respects each opponent because not to do so would be a mistake.

"Many countries are playing for a common goal and trying to win," he said. "The competition level is the same and teams are playing hard every game."

FIBA