ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Al Riyadi continued to have the number of Sagesse SC following a masterful 101-71 victory in their FIBA WASL Final 8 2025 encounter before a packed Stade Nouhad Naufal on Monday night.
The defending champions turned the corner in the second chapter before breaking away for good in the following period on the way to collecting their third straight win against the Green Castle in this league.
It could be recalled that they reigned victorious in their previous meetings in the last WASL-West Asia League on the way to a 'three-peat' and this latest triumph is important, too, as it bolstered their Semi-Final bid.
Riyadi got their second win in as many games and will have the opportunity to complete a three-game sweep of Group A when they face WASL-Gulf League runners-up Ittihad Club (1-1) on Wednesday at 20:45 local time.
"This is the target: to finish first in our group," offered head coach Ahmad Farran.
"And after, we will take it game by game like I said after our first game," he added. "Hopefully we will continue with the same energy and same intensity in order to keep our way up to the Final to defend our title."
Wael Arakji starred with 36 points, now the most by a Riyadi player in the Final 8 as he eclipsed the previous mark of 35 set by teammate Thon Maker in their 100-90 overtime win over, coincidentally, Sagesse in the title bout.
The lefty playmaker produced 20 of his points in the second half, nearly matching their counterparts' output as the latter only mustered a total of 23 points in the last two quarters - including a measly 9 in the fourth.
Arakji only had 6 in the second stanza but those were of value, too. He helped create the fiery 22-5 scoring spree that turned a three-point deficit to a 52-38 lead with 2:18 left, putting them ahead the rest of the way.
The reigning BCL Asia MVP shot 15-of-20 from the field, including a 5-of-9 clip from deep, and also chalked up 3 rebounds and 6 assists, netting an efficiency of 38 as he went on to earn Player of the Game honors.
"We played amazingly offensively and defensively," Arakji said. "I'm so proud of every single member of the team ... But this means nothing. The game is already behind our backs. We still have three games to win the title."
Maker himself made life hard for Sagesse again with 14 points an 10 rebounds. Karim Zeinoun and Marin Maric had 14 apiece as well, while Hayk Gyokchyan supplied 12 points and 7 rebounds in the rout.
Al Riyadi shot 50.6-percent from the floor thanks to 25 assists but what Farran was most proud of was their defense, which saw his charges force their foes to 17 turnovers - and turned as much to 18 points.
"Defense was the title of this game," offered the champion mentor. "To be honest, the guys executed our plan perfectly. They put the energy from the beginning of the game until the end."
Their effort on defense also limited Zach Lofton to only 17 points on 14 shots to lead Sagesse - that, after erupting for 31 points to lead their 99-69 demolition of Ittihad Club during their Final 8 opener last Saturday.
Big men Cady Lalanne and Johnny O'Bryant finished with 13 points each and combined for 13 rebounds while Jad Khalil added 10 points and 10 rebounds in the loss, which dragged their record to 1-1.
Sagesse will look to keep their Semi-Finals hope alive when they battle BC Astana on Wednesday, May 14, at 17:45 local time, going up against a team hungry for a win after falling to 0-2 earlier in the night.
FIBA