ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Hamad Hasan came through in the clutch to help Kuwait Club withstand Ittihad Club, 105-97, in the FIBA WASL Final 8 2026 opener on Saturday at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex.
The veteran winger finished with 12 points, none bigger than the 3-point play he converted with 45.6 seconds left that doused cold water on the Tigers' rally after being down by 12 early in the deciding chapter.
Ittihad came to within just three, 100-97, behind Amorie Archibald and Musab Kadi with 54.6 seconds remaining, only for their flow to get disrupted after Hasan delivered the hoop and the harm to deny their comeback.
Alex Alghais then sank both of his free throws coolly with 21 seconds to spare, effectively icing the game to not only gain the head start in the stacked Group A but to exact revenge against an old tormentor as well.
The Brigadiers have been waiting for this moment to earn a measure of payback. They were swept by Ittihad during the 2024-25 WASL-Gulf League Qualification to Semi-Finals, ending their 2-year reign in the Sub-Zone.
"As we have seen, for 39 minutes we led the game. But of course, we knew that it would be very tough. In the end, I want to congratulate my team for getting our first win," offered head coach Dusan Stojkov.
"But we know that during this tournament, we have to grow up and be better," he added.
Dae Dae Grant starred for Kuwait Club with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in 37 minutes, netting an efficiency of 37 to eventually earn Capelli Sport Player of the Game honors unanimously.
Chinanu Onuaku produced 29 points as well, alongside 12 rebounds. The troika of Alghais, Moh Hasan, and reinforcement Christian Brown all finished with 11 points apiece for the 2023 Final 8 runners-up.
"We've progressed a lot with our chemistry," said Grant, whose team tallied 24 assists. "When we all arrived in Kuwait, it was not gelled together. We were all over the place. Now, we're more family-oriented."
The win shall help prepare Kuwait Club entering their next game on Monday, September 28, which will be against no less than the reigning 2-time WASL champions in Al Riyadi. Tip-off is scheduled at 20:45 local time.
Archibald, on the other hand, led Ittihad with 34 points and 9 assists in the fightback that fell just short.
Marvin Clark had 23 points and 6 rebounds, while Wayne Chism supplied 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Tigers, who will attempt to break through against SABA representatives Indian Railways on Monday as well.
"My players tried with all their effort," lauded new head coach Stratos Koukoulekidis, who took over the club's coaching reins from Slobodan Subotic. "Hopefully in the next games we continue to improve."
FIBA