ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Keron DeShields came through in the clutch time and again to tow Ittihad Club past BC Astana, 79-76, for win no. 1 in the FIBA WASL Final 8 2025, Monday at the Stade Nouhad Naufal.
The veteran playmaker finished with a game-high 24 points, none bigger than the tie-breaking trifecta he knocked down against a pair of defenders with 2.3 seconds left to play to break a 76-all deadlock.
A missed attempt by Ruslan Aitkali at sending the match into overtime brought the 2024/2025 WASL-Gulf League runners-up to the win column after absorbing a 99-69 beating at the hands of Sagesse in their debut.
DeShields shot 42.1-percent from the floor, including a troika of threes. He also had 8 rebounds and a new Final 8 record 12 assists as the 32-year-old made the most of his time on the floor after playing all 40 minutes.
"We talked so many times about this and there were so many games that we're supposed to finish with a last shot. So I told him, 'Don't give the ball to anybody, just finish it.' And he does this," said head coach Slobodan Subotic.
"But I didn't say this today," the champion bench tactician quickly added and with a smile on his face, as the coaches drew up a different play before 'KD' took matters in his own hands for the win.
DeShields' heroics, furthermore, preserved the efforts of Mathna and Mohammed Almarwani as they made sure that the squad would remain in the thick of the fight against the tough CABA representatives.
The brothers joined hands to help Ittihad widen a one-point lead to 76-70 with 3:32 remaining. Their counterparts from Kazakhstan, though, rallied and tied things up behind Grigorii Motovilov and Andrei Desiatnikov.
But it only paved the way for the Baltimore-native to showcase his endgame magic anew, and the team would eventually write WASL history for Saudi Arabia as they notched the country's first victory in the Final 8.
"I think today it was a big win for the club, and also for the country of Saudi Arabia," offered DeShields. "I think we represented well. I think we did a great job. Hats off to Coach and to my teammates."
Majok Deng supplied 14 points and 5 rebounds in the win that hiked their card to 1-1 in Group A. Mohammed made 11 points and 9 rebounds while Abdulrahman Fallata, Mathna, and Nasser Alabsi had at least 7 points each.
Ittihad will face Al Riyadi next on Wednesday, May 14, at 20:45 local time, looking, of course, to pull off a massive upset against the reigning FIBA WASL champions for a chance to reach the Semi-Finals.
Vadim Chsherbak, on the other hand, finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead Astana, who fell to their second loss in as many outings. Desiatnikov added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Askar Maydekin had 13 points while Motovilov added 11 points and 9 rebounds as the charges of Coach Gleb Plotnikov are in danger of missing the Final 8 Semi-Finals for the second time in a row.
Astana (0-2) will play Sagesse next on Wednesday, May 14, at 17:45 local time.
FIBA