BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Four teams will vie for the last two tickets to the FIBA WASL Sub-Zone Leagues Semi-Finals as playoff action in Season 2 continues this week.

Muharraq versus Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai

Monday, March 18
BBA Arena, Manama, Bahrain
22:00 local time (GMT+3)

Muharraq will try to maximize homecourt advantage in trying to finish off Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai in Game 3 of their Gulf League Qualification to Semis series on Monday at the BBA Arena.

The Bahraini ball club came out with a sensational performance in Game 2 last week, dealing their undermanned Emirati counterparts a harsh 116-75 beatdown in the latter's very own stomping grounds at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai.

Bader Malabes showed the way with 31 points but the trio of Husain Ali (25), Ricky Ledo (23), and Mohamed Juma (21) delivered big, too, as the quartet combined for 100 points and 18 of the team's 21 triples, resetting the record for most treys by a team in a FIBA WASL game.

For sure, the four will be marked men in the rubber match, with Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai keen on redeeming themselves - and, of course, in booking a return trip to the Gulf Semis.

Nick Minnerath had returned to the fold in Game 2 after missing the best-of-3 opener due to illness and hardly missed a beat with 21 points and 15 rebounds, but it would need a collective effort from the squad if they are to prevent being on the losing end of a series comeback.

Winner of this series faced reigning FIBA WASL champions Manama in the Semis.

Al Shorta versus Al-Ittihad Ahli

Wednesday, March 20
Al Shaeb Hall, Baghdad, Iraq
22:00 local time (GMT+3)

Over at the West Asia Qualification to Semis, Al Shorta are hoping to replicate their Game 1 win as they return to Al Shaeb Hall for the deciding Game 3 versus Al-Ittihad Ahli.

It could be recalled that the Iraqi side came through with a solid performance from start to finish to take the series opener by way of an 89-73 victory, only to allow their foes from Syria to equalize the series by delivering their own 91-80 rout in Aleppo last week.

Coach Ghassan Sarkis expressed confidence with Al Shorta's chances of moving on to the Semis, where the winner takes on the unbeaten Shahrdary Gorgan, and so it's all up to the entire squad to prove the veteran bench tactician right in the do-or-die affair.

Expected to lead the charge for the home team are Terry Smith and Delwan Graham, which both led a fourth-quarter rally in Game 2 but it was all too late.

That lopsided result the last time out was mainly due to the stellar performance of Jeremy Kendle for Al-ittihad Ahli as he finished with 33 points and 10 assists.

Surely, he'd prefer to have his way again and come up with that kind of an outing to better their chances of not only completing the comeback from a 0-1 deficit in the series, but to write more history by becoming the first Syrian ball club to reach the West Asia League Semis.

FIBA