FIBA Asia - Thrilla in Manila Part II: Riyadi down Mahram again, this time in final [video]

MANILA (2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Al Riyadi Beirut kept their poise down the stretch on Sunday to beat two-time defending champions Mahram 91-82 and win their first-ever 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup medal at the PhilSports Arena.

Fadi El Khatib (left in picture) celebrated his fourth FIBA Asia Champions Cup gold medal – his first since helping Sagesse win seven years ago – by scoring a tournament-high 40 points to end the four-year hold Iranian teams have had on the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

Al Riyadi became the first Lebanese team to win the competition since Sagesse in 2004.

The two teams fought tooth and nail for the first three quarters, by the end of which Mahram were up 58-57.

El Khatib opened the final frame with a three-pointer and Jean Abdel Nour - Riyadi’s talisman this season - took over thereafter, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to put Riyadi firmly ahead.

Abdel Nour scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Ismail Ahmad (right in picture) finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds in the winning effort.

Samad Nikkhah Bahrami led Mahram’s scoring with 28 points, but only three of those came in the final period, when his team was outscored 34-24.

That in nutshell told the tale of Riyadi’s dominance down the stretch.

Their late flurry made all the difference in getting head coach Fouad Abouchakra his first FIBA Asia Champions Cup gold medal.

“I have it on my CV finally,” he said before rushing to join his team on the podium.

Bahrami gave credit where credit was due.

“We lost to the better team on the floor. There’s nothing more to it,” he said.

Highlights

Rayyan hold off Smart Gilas for bronze

Al Rayyan of Qatar kept their record of winning a medal in every one of their FIBA Asia Champions Cup appearances going by beating hosts Smart Gilas 71-64 in the bronze medal play-off.

It was the Qatari club's fourth bronze, adding to the ones won 2004, 2006 and 2007.

For Smart Gilas, who reached the semi-final for the first time in three appearances, the result was heart-breaking.

The hosts were unable to convert their speed into scoring, going a woeful three of 24 from three-point territory, something that is usually one of their strengths.

“You can’t expect to win with such a percentage,” bemoaned Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

“Also we didn’t have enough support in size.”

Smart Gilas naturalised big man Marcus Douthit had game-highs of 28 points and 17 rebounds, but got little help on the boards as Rayyan finished with a staggering 20-8 advantage in offensive rebounds and 56-38 overall.

Rayyan's Chauncey Leslie taught a few lesson to the young JV Casio and found his rhythm in the second quarter, scoring seven of his team-high 19 points. He had nine points in the fourth.

Targuy Ngombo, one of the most exciting youngsters in the FIBA Asia circuit, had 18 points and a dozen rebounds.

“I take the positive that even in a bad game we showed character to fight a team like Rayyan close,” said Toroman.

The win for Rayyan saw head coach Brian Rowsom claim his maiden medal in FIBA Asia Champions Cup competition.

“We knew we had to stop their treys if we needed to have a chance. We worked on that and it paid off," he said.

“I must pay credit to my defense and the way the team rallied around after the beating last night."

In the day's other games, Jordan champions Applied Science University (ASU) used a 30-18 fourth quarter to come from behind and beat Syria's Al Jala'a 72-65 and take fifth place.

Serbian big man Vladislav Dragajlovic had 28 points and 21 rebounds to lead Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad past Duhok of Iraq 104-95 and take seventh place.

FIBA/FIBA Asia