QAT – Gharafa down Rayyan in OT, retain Emir Cup

DOHA (QBF Emir Cup) - For a clash between the champions of the two previous tournaments in the year, the 2011 QBF Emir Cup on Thursday provided a fitting finale to the 2011 QBF season.

As it would transpire, 2011 Heir Apparent Cup champions Al Gharafa, the team with the momentum, repeated their 2010 triumph beating 2011 QBF League champions Al Rayyan 91-85 after overtime.

Trailing by as many nine early in the fourth quarter, Gharafa rallied to level the score at 83 and force the extra session.

Things looked even at the start of the overtime, but Gharafa played some smart basketball drawings fouls regularly, and with even the minimum success of the resultant free-throws, Koussay Hatem’s team closed the game with a 6-0 run.

The six-point winning margin incidentally was Gharafa’s biggest lead in the entire game.

Gharafa got off to a good start and were in front until the early part of the second quarter.

Rayyan took charge of the proceedings at that point as Chauncey Leslie fired in a three-pointer before hitting two free-throws moments later and Targuy Ngombo followed it up with a drive in the lane.

Russell Bergman's team would stay in control through the middle quarters and their lead grew to nine when Yasseen Ismail knocked down a three-pointer early in the final frame.

Rayyan seemed well on the way to regaining the title they last won two years ago.

But Gharafa then staged their late game heroics to send the game into overtime and sealed the win in the extra period.

Alexander McLean led Gharafa with 22 points. Fellow American Boney Watson had 13 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.

Oussay Ndaye and Omar Abd - who hit clutch baskets in the overtime - each had 20 points, the latter also grabbing 17 rebounds.

Leslie saw his game-high 36 points and 10 rebounds, go in vain for Rayyan.

FIBA Asia