(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fawad hussain |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Defending champions Al Sadd and Al Ahli booked an exciting Amir Cup basketball tournament title clash after winning their respective semi-finals at Al Gharafa Sports Complex yesterday.
Al Sadd, who topped Group 1, continued their fine performance to knock the Qatar Basketball League champions and pre-event favourites Al Rayyan out of the prestigious tournament with an 81-78 victory. Al Ahli reigned supreme in the second semi-final with a fighting 82-70 win over Al Wakrah.
Both the teams will meet for the second time in the tournament as Al Sadd had defeated Al Ahli 79-62 earlier in group stage.
The final will be played on Thursday at 6:30pm.
Meanwhile, Alen Hadzibegovic was the star for Al Sadd, earning 28 points besides registering 15 rebounds and five assists in the first semi-final that saw his side rally to overcome a tough challenge from record nine-time champions Al Rayyan.
After the game was locked 24-24 in the first period, Al Rayyan secured a 55-41 lead in the following session. Seeking their fourth Amir Cup crown, Al Sadd bounced back in the match to take a 65-62 lead in the penultimate quarter.
The title holders maintained their lead in best part of the last session but Al Rayyan set up a thrilling end to the match, snatching a 78-77 lead with less than three minutes remaining. Al Sadd, however, held their nerves and scored quick points to book their spot in the final.
Babacar Dieng also made valuable contribution for Al Sadd, scoring 23 points while Malik Romero Curry, who scored 21 points, was the key performer for Al Rayyan.
Later, in the second semi-final, D'mitrik Alexander Trice fired 30 points to propel Al Ahli to a comeback victory over in-form Al Wakrah.
Al Wakrah got off to a strong start, taking a 20-15 lead in the opening session but Al Ahli fought back to seal a 41-30 advantage in the second period.
Al Ahli stretched their lead to 59-44 in the third period and maintained their domination to set up final against Al Sadd.
Brandon Lloyd Spearman (24 points) and Donte Lamont Mc Gill (18 points) were the main scorers for Al Wakrah.
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