FIBA ASIA – Riyadi, Wasl emerge Group toppers

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - The identification of Group toppers – one a seasoned campaigner on a revival path and the other considered ‘rank outsiders’ – in the preliminary league, a highly tricky adverse result ‘achieved’ by a leading contender and the return to the winning ways of the defending champions. If anybody thought the penultimate day’s action in the preliminary league of the 19th FIBA Asia Champions Cup would go unnoticed, he would have enormously surprised.

Nothing that happened on the court on Friday was ordinary.

Al Riyadi Beirut, playing the tournament after a decade-long hiatus, must have been very heartened to see their mainstay Fadi El-Khatib find his rhythm just at the right moment. The skillful guard announced his return to form with a game-high performance and rallied his team around to compensate for Joseph Vogel’s strife with lack of consistency. Fadi’s 27 points was certainly the hall mark of Riyadi’s pivotal victory against former champions Al Rayyan of Qatar.

“Things seem to be picking pace for us. Of course Joe (Vogel) is still a little scratchy, but players like him can come good any time,” was how Riyadi coach Fuad Abu Chakra looked ahead in the tournament.

Riyadi, thus finished their Group ‘A’ league engagements winning all of them to set up a quarterfinal clash against hosts Al Qadsia, slated for Tuesday. Qadsia still have a game on hand – against Al Wasl of UAE – but even a win in that game can not take Qadsia higher than a fourth place finish in Group ‘B’.

For that matter, even a defeat to Qadsia can not deprive Wasl the top place in Group ‘B’.

The Emirians, who caused a few ripples beating defending champions Saba Battery on Friday, showed they belong in the big league with a clinical display of defense in beating Bahrain champions Al Muharraq.

Of course, like it was in the earlier two wins, Wasl’s imports proved their worth. Courtney Fields and Herve Lamizana showed effective cohesion in defense to thwart rival import Donald Little’s tireless efforts as Wasl rode on their hard work to post their third win in as many matches.

“Of course, it’s a very exciting moment to finish on top of this group,” Wasl coach Abdul Hameed Ibrahim said.

“The imports have provided the right inspiration for the rest of the boys,” he said, adding with a wink, “who knows we might even go all the way.”

In the quarterfinals, Wasl will take on the fourth place finishers in Group ‘A’.

Zain’s defeat at the hands of BK Almaty has made it all the more interesting in spotting Wasl’s quarterfinal opponents.

Going into the game, with two defeats to contend with, Zain coach Mazen Trakh opted to give his mainstays an off day at office, which resulted in a defeat on the scoresheet and opened a couple of tongues wagging about a contrived result.

Trakh put up a stoic face in saying, “we have had a long haul in the last couple of weeks. And we started with two tight games. This was the only game I had to try my bench.”

“Considering the format of the tournament, where we can go through with a win on the morrow, the defeat doesn’t worry me too much,” he said.

Whether the defeat matters or not will be known on Monday, when the Jordanians face a must-win situation against MUBA Hangtuah.

Defending champions Saba Battery taught a few lessons to Oil and Natural Gas Commission in percentage basketball, in the process sending the Indians out of the race for a quarterfinal berth

Scores
Group A
Al Riyadi, Beirut 88 (Fadi El Khatib 27, Ali Mahmoud 23, Ismael Ahmad 21) bt Al Rayyan, Qatar 79 (Eric Chatfield 23, Darlon Johnson 16, Yasseen Musa 14).
Quarter Scores: 20-20, 49-37, 65-60.

BK Almaty, Jordan 76 (Vsevolod Fadeikin 21, Anton Kataev 19) bt Zain, Jordan 60 (Mohammad Hadrab 22, Mosa Bashir 13).
Quarter Scores: 24-15, 40-26, 56-39.

Group B

Al Wasl, UAE 116 (Courtney Fields 25, Herve Lamizana 19, Ibrahim Ahmad 17, Ali Al-Hatawi 14) bt Al Muharraq, Bahrain 88 (Donald Little 32, Mohammad Mohammad 21).
Quarter Scores: 31-18, 56-44, 89-60.

Saba Battery, Iran 130 (Dajuan Tate 42, Kamran Jamshidvand 26, Mahdi Kamrani 12) bt ONGC, India 76 (Desraj 23, Muraleekrishnan 15).
Quarter Scores: 35-10, 63-38, 92-66.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia