LIB – Solid, stoic and steady Riyadi draw first blood in Final

BEIRUT (FLB Divn. A League) - Six-time defending champions Al Riyadi Beirut raced away to a surprisingly facile 92-77 win to open the Lebanese Division A League Finals series against Lebanese Super Cup winners Champville on Wednesday.

Fouad Abouchakra's team led for most of the way - only trailing in the early stages - and toyed around with their arch rivals before winning by one of the largest margins in recent Lebanese League Finals history.

Hampered by Jean Abed El Nour’s injury, Abouchakra was forced to field a traditional starting roster. But with each of the starting five having played for at least two seasons - three of them having figured in all the six previous title wins - there was no problem of cohesion.

Omar El Turk, inducted as the second point guard to add speed to Ali Mahmoud’s plays, celebrated his role in style with 13 points.

Mahmoud was his usual crafty self dishing out six assists.

Veteran Joe Vogel (pictured) added eight points and as many rebounds.

The two foreigners in the line-up, Ismail Ahmad and Nate Johnson, thus had no trouble in serving their duties.

Egyptian Ahmad shot 12 of 19 from the field and led Riyadi’s scoring with 26 points.

Ahmad, who returned to Riyadi colours days before the Final Four games, also grabbed eight boards, handed out five assists and got five steals.

American Johnson had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists.

With the starting five ensuring clock-work plays there was little to worry for Riyadi throughout.

Riyadi led 26-20 at the end of the first quarter and the lead only kept increasing as the game progressed.

Fadi El Khatib, who is likely to join Riyadi for the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup, played like a lonely tusker scoring a game-high 33 points, but also committed the most turnovers with nine.

Lee Benson, Champville’s hero in the Final Four, struggled and was held to just six points.

The other American, Tyrone Anderson, scored 18 points and had a game-high eight assists, but that was far from sufficient to cover for the lack of support from the rest.

Insufficient, more so, when faced against a marauding opponents like Riyadi.

Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday.

FIBA Asia