FIBA ASIA - Thrilla in Manila: Riyadi down Mahram in pulsating clash

MANILA (FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Al Riyadi prevailed from Monday's scintillating group B clash with Mahram while Al Rayyan and ASU also kept their 100% records intact following another great day of FIBA Asia Champions Cup basketball.

Iranian defending champions Mahram fell to WABA giants Al Riyadi Beirut 73-76 in a game that set the PhilSports Arena ablaze, with both teams lying neck and neck for much of the game.

Al Riyadi's Fadi El Khatib made two free throws with less than ten seconds to go to open up a three point gap. Mahram failed twice to bring scores equal from three point range, with the second seeing Loren Woods make a game-winning block on Samb Cheikh Tidian.

Fadi El Khatib was Riyadi's top scorer with 25, while Mahram's Christopher Williams scored a game high 32.

Riyadi's coach Fouad Abouchakra recognised it could have gone either way: "In games like this, the difference is as minimal as it can get be in a missed shot or a turnover. Am I glad we were lucky tonight."

Shahintab took a more philosophical, and some called it realistic, approach.

"It's a group game at the end of the day. Every game matters, but we will learn from this defeat," Shahintab, who took over from Mostafa Hashemi this season said.

The defeat was Mahram's only second loss in 17 appearances spread over three years starting from their maiden appearance in the 2009 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Jakarta, where the Iranian giants won the title.

Solid Rayyan keep Al Shabab winless

Rayyan came out of the traps quickly scoring the first seven points against UAE's Al Shabab steering clear of any serious threat throughout the game, which ended 78-60.

Targuy Ngombo unleashed his magic with a game-high 21 points, in an 8/16 show on the field.

Yasseen Musa missed a double double by 2 rebounds scoring 17 points.

"A win tonight was crucial because we had just to them in the GCC," Rayyan coach Brian Rowsom said.

Composed ASU

The day began with last year's semifinalists Applied Science University (ASU) riding on their experience to go two from two as they beat Al Ittihad 79-69.

Mousa Alawadiproved effective throughout the game, posting a game-high 26 points while Sam Daghles provided the spark in the second half, scoring 10 of his 14 points, adding to his 9 assists.

"Our aim was to stop their treys first. We knew we had the size and speed, but we were focusing their outside shooting. That's why you'd see that the scoreboard was close in the first half," ASU coach Fredrick Oniga said.

Duhok earn historic first win

Duhok owed their first win in FIBA Asia Champions Cup history to American CJ Giles', who spearheaded his team's 88-76 point victory over Malaysians KL Dragons.

Giles, who played for Riyadi last year, and Smart Gilas a year earlier, returned a game-high 28 points, 19 of them in the second half.

"Our defense was in a mess in the first half. said Duhok coach Fikrat Abdallahad.

"Our talk during the half-time was just about how to lock them down and man to man it had to be all the way. That's what helped us," he added.

Visibly disappointed, KL Dragons coach Ariel Vanguardia said, "We have played very similarly on both days. We let them get ahead then fought back and allowed them go ahead yet again."

FIBA Asia/FIBA