(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Chinthana Wasala
|
The Peninsula
Doha: Defending champions Al Arabi pulled off a thrilling 79-78 victory over table-toppers Al Rayyan in the Qatar basketball League yesterday.
Al Arabi's win at QBF Indoor Hall took them to the second spot in the points table, while Al Rayyan remained at the top despite their first loss of the season.
Al Arabi's Elmedin Kikanovic was the star of the game, delivering a stunning performance with a 37-point score and making 22 rebounds.
Kikanovic was well-supported by Victor Dewayne Rudd who scored 13 points and seven rebounds.
Demarquís D'Angelo Bost was the standout player for Al Rayyan, adding 18 points while making nine rebounds and 5 assists to challenge Al Arabi.
The game saw Al Rayyan start strong, snatching a 23-21 lead in the first quarter before Al Arabi outscored their opponents in the second and third quarters to go ahead 60-54.
Al Rayyan were at their best in the fourth quarter, adding 24 points against Al Arabi's 19, but they fell short by just one point at full time.
Later, at the same venue, Al Ahli secured their fourth win this season when they outscored Al Gharafa with a 90-82 scoreline.
The first quarter honours belonged to Al Ahli who took a 26-11 lead before Al Gharafa outscored them 27-15 to reduce the deficit.
Al Gharafa continued to press hard in the last two quarters, Al Ahli maintained their momentum to ensure a clear win.
Raekwon Deshawn Rogers top scored for Al Ahli with 23 points, also making 13 rebounds to top the performance index, while Moustapha Ndao added 22 points.
Nedim Muslic emerged as Al Gharafa's star, scoring 30 points and making 11 rebounds along with two assists.
Yesterday's defeat, their sixth in seven matches, added further woes to Al Gharafa as they remain at the bottom of the points table, while Al Ahli climbed to fifth spot.
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