KSA - Saudi Arabian Kentz, Bahrain All Stars takes dream games opener

DAMMAM (UFSA-DBL) - The Saudi Arabian Kentz made a successful start to the United Filipino Sports Association –Dammam Basketball League 2nd Saudi Arabia-Bahrain Dream Games 2008 after defeating the powerful cast of Riyadh- Bicol BAAO squad 80-75 for the much awaited battle of the best and mightiest players from across the kingdom, a monthly competition featuring five competitive and equally aggressive teams at the Al Nahda Sports Club here.

The event is being held as part of the organizers commitment to its local Filipino patronage of bringing a different level of basketball. A delegation of selected players from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Jubail and Kingdom of Bahrain will entertain hundreds of Filipino spectators in the series of match. The second game was announced on June 6, 2008. A pre-Philippine Independence Day celebrations.

Prior to the game, the event was rained with intrigues and boos from the crowd when the Jeddah All Star failed to show up in their scheduled games. During the live phone patch with UFSA-DBL Commissioner Jojo Dizon, the Hanco-Maintenance Jeddah All Star assured and confirmed their participation in the next dream games slated next moth.

“I have to be honest here”, there are technicalities that out of our control. What we need is their patience and trust to UFSA-DBL” said by apologetic commissioner Jojo Dizon.

The Riyadh All Star led throughout the contest, but found it difficult to create a comfortable lead in the last 10 minutes of action, after taking a commanding 7 points 61-54 in the third quarter the game was broken wide open as the Saudi Kentz scored a scintillating 9 points in the last period when Kentz Dante Alipin successfully tied the game 63-63 with 7:16 seconds remaining.

Philippine Youth Basketball League Bulldog’s Boyet Katigbak led his team with 27 points, while MBA Pampanga Dragons spitfire Alvin Serrano connected on 21 markers of his own. Returning as a guest player PBA San Miguel Beer Arnold Calo, contributed 10 points, while ace defender Wene Dantungputi provided a spark off the bench with 13 points.

“It was a very good and competitive game,” Bert Radan, Kentz Head Coach exclaimed after their victory. “The Riyadh are good players; they have a very good team. But we were able to take advantage of their lack of teamwork. They really didn’t play with too much chemistry. Our team has been playing together for a while now and we know how to win by playing together.”

After Riyadh paraded their array of shooting and defensive plays in the first 30 minutes of the game courtesy of Slum Dunk King Hani Mohammed who scored 32 points but eventually shot awfully in the last quarter also defended poorly as they allowed the Kentz to score 14 points on transition plays.

After Riyadh team bungled their offensive and defensive play, Katigbak put cherry on the ice cream with consecutive charities making it 80-75 before the buzzer.

Riyadh tried to regain their composure but the back to back attacked by the Kents prove to be unstoppable.

The series of the exhibition games is being supported by Fahd Alireza Engineering Consultants and Universal Motors Agencies, supported by Trading Est. of Al Bahar distributor of W.L. Super Bawang, Skyfreight Forwarders, Smart GMA Pinoy Plus, and Mc Donald’s Resturant.

The undermanned Bahrain squad celebrates after blasting the long time undefeated and reigning regional champions Arabian Consulting Engineering Centre – D’ Consultants 113-104 win.

Mahmood Abdul Nabi orchestrated varieties of his moves and sank long range shot with 32 points for his team.

Almost given up for the dead after trailing the Consultants, 34-24, at the start of the second canto, the defending champion clawed their way back into the contest through the gutsy efforts of Fahad Ahmad and Ali Ibrahim.

A 7-0 run capped by Munir Mohammed booming three-point shot pushed the Bahraini to within 65-61. That run also saw their fans explode in utter excitement.

Mon Hernandez, a veteran of many exhibition games, however, silenced ACEC’s supporters by knocking in his first triple of the game after missing his earlier attempts. The trio of UAAP Omar Asmad, PBL Allan De Castro and NU standout Angelo Baltazar was no much with the solid game exhibited by the Bahrain team.

"They think they will win against us because we are undermanned, then they are wrong”, quality and skills and the determination to win is the name of the game” Yasser Al Mubarak commented.

FIBA