FIBA Asia - Smart Gilas, ASU stay perfect; Riyadi down Rayyan in OT

MANILA (22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Hosts Smart Gilas and Jordanian champions Applied Sciences University (ASU) both remained undefeated at the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup on Tuesday, winning their third games in as many outings in Group A to set up a clash for the top place on Wednesday.

In Group B, Al Riyadi Beirut is the only team that can finish the Preliminary Round unbeaten – should they see off Al Jala’a tomorrow – after getting the better of last year's runners-up Al Rayyan 78-73 in the first overtime game of the tournament.

Smart Gilas survived a mid-game slump to beat Iraq’s Duhok 74-64 while ASU had too much firepower as they dispatched KL Dragons 101-77.

In the other game of the day, Al Jala’a booked their place in the quarter-finals by beating UAE’s Al Shabab 93-63, the latter having lost all their four games.

“Our defense worked alright, but the offense was all over the place,” sighed Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

Duhok trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, but did a great job of chipping away at the deficit and getting within 55-53 late in the third period, but then let Smart Gilas off the hook.

“Let’s accept it. They were much faster than us,” conceded Duhok coach Fikrat Abdalahad.

CJ Giles, the first import to play for Smart Gilas when the development team made its debut at the 20th FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Jakarta two years ago, led all scorers with 20 for Duhok.

“They (Smart Gilas) are a much better team now. A lot more systematic,” he said comparing his opponents to his then team-mates of two years ago.

Rodrigue Akl (dark jersey in picture), on loan from Anibal for this competition, capped a 12-6 Riyadi run in the final five minutes of regulation to tie the game at 70 and send it to overtime.

In the extra session, Akl pulled down three of Riyadi’s defensive rebounds to deny Rayyan any extra room.

“Am I lucky to have thought of borrowing him!” said Riyadi coach Fouad Abouchakra.

“In these two games, he (Akl) has been a real worthy,” he added, connecting Akl’s contribution to regular point guard Ali Mahmoud’s absence – due to a sore back – in the last two games.

“Like yesterday (when Riyadi beat defending champions Mahram 76-73), my team played a lot together. They stood up for each other when chips were down, and I think that was the key to our win today,” he added.

“This is a lesson for us not to drop our guard. But I thought we lost a one-ball game,” bemoaned Rayyan coach Brian Rowsom.

In their game against Al Shabab, Syria's Al Jala’a took charge of the proceedings early, never leaving anything to chance or doubt and cruised along.

Al Shabab bowed out of the competition having failed to win a single game.

Jala’a have a game in hand – against fellow WABA team Al Riyadi Beirut of Lebanon on Wednesday, the last day of the Preliminary Round.

“We beat them twice recently, but then we have also lost twice," Jala’a head coach Mensur Bajramovic said in reference to the WABA League Finals against the Lebanese outfit.

"So it will be an interesting game to watch and see how much each team has progressed from there.”

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Samaki Walker and Micheal Madanly combined to score the first six points of the game for Jala’a and the Syrian champions gradually pulled away as the game progressed.

Bajramovic’s team closed the first quarter with a double-digit lead and never looked back.

ASU used a 15-0 run early in the second quarter of their game against KL Dragons and became the first team to cross the magic century mark.

Star forward Zaid Abbas and American import Ryan Forehan-Kelly didn’t play – both nursing knee injuries – but Sam Daghles more than made up with a dazzling all-round show.

He scored 19 points, collected 11 rebounds and handed out nine assists to just miss out on the competition’s triple-double.

FIBA Asia