MANAMA (Bahrain) - Kuwait Club are back where they belong.
The former two-time FIBA WASL-Gulf League titlists successfully booked a return trip to the Semi-Finals after completing a two-game sweep of Muharraq by way of a 78-69 decision, Monday night at the BBA Arena.
Joffrey Lauvergne and the rest of the crew turned things around in the third canto before finishing strongly en route to keeping the redemption tour alive after a crushing end to their campaign last season.
It could be recalled that the Kuwaiti Division 1 League powerhouse were chasing a then-unprecedented 'three-peat' only to get swept by eventual runners-up Ittihad Club in the best-of-3 Qualification to Semi-Finals.
Now, they have managed to exorcise that ghost by finishing off their Bahraini counterparts in the same manner, setting up a Semi-Finals clash with, coincidentally and interestingly, the Tigers - the top seed in Group A.
"Of course, we are very happy. Now, we have a month to prepare for our first game against Ittihad, which will be one more challenge for us. Hopefully, we will do good," offered head coach Dusan Stojkov.
Lauvergne starred for Kuwait Club with 20 points on an excellent 10-of-13 clip from the field alongside 16 rebounds, netting an efficiency of 38 toward bagging home Capelli Sport Player of the Game honors.
The former NBA forward was crucial in the third-quarter reversal, scoring 6 in a 14-0 run that flipped a three-point deficit to a 53-42 advantage with about four minutes remaining, which put them ahead permanently.
And when the home team got to within just five late in the game, he was also there to help shut the door close, joining hands with Moh Hasan to push their lead to 73-64 with 1:05 left, all but sealing the deal.
"I think we did our best to finish this series as fast as possible. Because if we had to go to a third game, you'll never know. Tonight, we had a chance to finish the series, and we found a way," said Lauvergne.
Charlie Moore finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Hasan supplied 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Alex Alghais chipped in 12 points as they all helped put together the aforementioned turnaround.
Together, they got the job done despite missing Hamad Hasan, whose wife gave birth to a baby girl. "It's very nice. He became a father today, so our Kuwait Club family has one more beautiful little girl," said Stojkov.
Mohammed Ameer led Muharraq with 22 points. Kris Clyburn had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Nick West had his own double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds in the loss that meant the end of their WASL season.
Michael Warren added 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Red Wolves, who failed to replicate their 2023-24 campaign in which they reached the WASL-Gulf League Semi-Finals before finishing fourth.
This time, Muharraq finished the 2025-26 season with a 2-6 record overall.
FIBA