News:

12/5/2008
UAE / KUW – Wasl remain unbeaten
KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Champions Cup): Ivorian Herve Lamizana recorded only a 50 percent free throw rate for Al Wasl in their final Group ‘B’ encounter, against a resurgent hosts Al Qadsia on Monday. But one of them came with less than two seconds in the Overtime, after the two teams had finished on par at 72 at the end of the fourth quarter. As a result of that conversion, Wasl managed to keep their unbeaten record intact, winning 83-82.

With their positions in the league table, not only the qualification, confirmed, the two played without any pressure. Wasl called the shots for most of the encounter, thanks to their imports’ performance. Lamizana accounted for 21 points, with nine rebounds and American Courtney Fields, who bagged the MVP, returned 24 points with 12 rebounds.
Qadsia, having played the second fiddle for long, fought back feverishly in the fourth quarters. Abdullah Al Sarraf’s three-pointer, one of the five he sunk in the game, took the hosts ahead (74-71) in the game for the first time with less than a minute left and eventually steered the game into overtime.
Alpha Bangura, who top scored the game with 25 points, and eight rebounds, was fouled out after a under-the-basket fumble with less than three seconds left in overtime, and the scores tied 82-82, when Lamizana came up with his crucial conversion.
Wasl take on Zain of Jordan, while Qadsia match wits with Al Riyadi Beirut in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Scores
Al Wasl, UAE 83 (Courtney Fields 24, Herve Lamizana 21) bt Al Qadsia, Kuwait 82 (Alpha Bangura 25, Abdullah Al Sarraf 23, Abdullah Al Sarraf 20, James Williams 14).
Quarter Scores: 29-22, 46-38, 63-52.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia
 

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IRI / BRN – Saba head into last 8 with a win

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Champions Cup): Defending champions Saba Battery took their appointed place in the last eight, with a clinical 92-68 win over Al Muharraq, as the curtains came down on the preliminary league of the 19th FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Muhharaq, despite the defeat, have also qualified for the quarterfinals.
Saba’s win put them in the second place in Group ‘B’ earning them a clash against BK Almaty of Kazakhstan, while Muharraq will play Al Rayyan in the knockouts

Saba were steadfast in notching their third win. “It’s important we go into the night with a win especially since there’s a break in between. The boys can come refreshed, but it was crucial to keep the rhythm going,” Saba coach Mehran Shahintab said.
Nigerian international Enyinn Mounike top scored the game for Saba scoring with 22 points, with support coming from the other import – American – Dajuan Tate with 17 points.
It was imports – Americans Rahshun Roberts and Donald Little – who kept the scoreboard ticking for Muharraq too. Roberts accounted for 21 points, and four rebounds and Little added 20 points along with five rebounds.
Scores
Saba Battery, Iran 92 (Enyinn Mounike 22, Dajuan Tate 17, Mahdi Kamrani 11) bt Al Muharraq, Bahrain 68 (Rahsun Roberts 21, Little 20, Mohammad Mohammad 11)
Quarter Scores: 33-17, 58-28, 79-42.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia

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QAT / KAZ – Rayyan down Almaty
KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Champions Cup): With both being assured of a quarterfinal berth, Al Rayyan and BK Almaty opted to utilize Monday’s Group ‘A’ encounter, which ended 89-68 in the former’s favour, to “try a few new options keeping in mind the play-offs.”
“We thought we ought to strengthen our plays in defense. This game, without the pressure of the result was just right to work out a couple of new combinations. And the fact that we won the game brings us the confidence that things have worked out well,” said Al Rayyan coach Brian Lester.

“Going to the quarterfinals, we know it can get very tight. That’s why we also tried out our bench,” the Australian added.
Eric Chatfield and Yasseen Musa were, of course, in prime form to take care of any untoward happenings for Rayyan. Chatfield top scored the game with 28 points and Musa was as composed as ever in returning a 23-point day in the office.
“It was also important for us to get him into cracking form for the quarterfinals,” Lester said of Dalron Johnson, who was involved in more than regulation quantity of plays. To his credit, the 206-cm forward, a team mate of Chatfield at Turkish club Darussafaka before coming here, played his part netting 15 points.
Almaty coach Alexey Yeropkin too took the game as an opportunity to improve the confidence of his young outfit. “I’m glad this inexperienced group is improving by the day,” he said.
Scores
Al Rayyan, Qatar 89 (Eric Chatfield 28, Yasseen Musa 23, Dalron Johnson 15) bt BK Almaty, Kazakhstan 68 (Mikhail Yevstegneyev 20, Vsevolod Fadeikin 20).
Quarterwise Scores: 32-15, 48-32, 71-46,

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia

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