Al Arabi win Qatar Basketball League Title
DOHA, February 4, 2018 - Al Arabi Club added an eighth Qatar Basketball Federation League title to their cupboard after a fighting 61-59 victory over Al Wakrah Club in the final match at the Al Gharafa Club Indoor Hall on Saturday.
For both the teams, the final was unnerving event as this was the maiden title-clash for Al Wakrah and Al Arabi Club had last emerged as champions in 1993-94. With the two teams producing exciting drive-ins and missing shots, the final had to be a low-scoring affair and the suspense about the winners remained thick until the last two and a half minutes. By that time both had been locked eight times and the lead changed hands for 26 times.
However, forward Khalid Suliman Abdi was entrusted with the job of moving the team and the ex-Al Sadd player fulfilled his responsibilities quite commendably. Centre Oumar Seck collected the rebound well when forward Nicholas Stover failed to nail a layup and put away to push Al Arabi Club one point ahead with 2:17 left (56-55).
Abdi followed it with an offensive rebound and assisted guard Gueye Momar Talla to score a basket and increase the gap to three points (58-55). Al Arabi Club pulled five points clear with William Byrd dunking the ball (60-55). Later Erfan Ali Saeed reduced the gap to three points but Talla, when six seconds left, put away a free throw to deliver the killing blow. Though Earnest Lee Ross got a layup in, Al Arabi had already sealed the triumph, especially after quite difficult semi-final playoffs and the title-match tonight.
Byrd, who also had four blocks, led the winners with 24 points, repeating his season's best tally. He had 24 during his team's win over Qatar Sports Club in the second round of the round-robin last month. Seck came up with his 11th double-double of the season when he secured 12 points and 18 rebounds. Seck is on the top of the rebound-collection and after the final, he widened his tally to 264. He had three blocks as well.
Stover, who is the leading scorer in the League, added 11 for Al Arabi Club. Forward Saaka netted 18 points for Al Wakrah Club, while point guard Markus Johnson tallied 14 and guard Earnest Lee Ross Jr added 11. Abdi, who this year left Al Sadd and switched to Al Arabi, was delighted with his second League title. In the 2012-13, he was one of key players to have lifted Al Sadd to the crown.
He said,"I want to thank God for helping me make the right decision to play for Al Arabi. I am very pleased and honoured to have helped Al Arabi win the title tonight. "This is the second League crown for me but it has come very hard way. The semi-final playoffs were tough and we needed to go to the full distance. Even the final was not easy. In the end, we managed to hold off Al Wakrah. I want to thank all the teammates for putting in a solid team work," Abdi added.
Stover said:"It was a great team win. We all fought together for so many months. We did have some adversities but we came through. We have a great team and I'm glad to have contributed to the victory in the final. Everybody in the locker room was tired but we kept pushing one another and it helped us in the final. We are looking forward to more successes in the season."
Seck commented that he was really thrilling with the first League title."I have been playing for Al Arabi for the eighth season. We put in superb performances and won the League title finally. Before the start of the season, we did not think about it and now, we are very excited that the title is a reality for us."
QSC finish third
Earlier former seven times champions Qatar Sports Club put pressure on the 2013-14 winners Al Gharafa Club with two small but vital runs and secured the third place in the League with an 85-81 triumph.
Figuring in the semi-finals after a long time, Qatar Sports Club raced to a healthy-looking 68-58 edge with a 10-0 run. And later when Al Gharafa Club tied the scores 70-70, they had a clutch 7-0 sequence with a few seconds left and the writing on the wall for Al Gharafa Club was clear.
Qatar Sports Club held the ball and drew fouls which they utilised to post the win and take the hardline honours. The chief scorers for Qatar Sports Club were Nicholas West (27 points and 14 rebounds), Daishon Amir Knight (21 points) and Brandan Kearney (19 points).
For Al Gharafa Club, Sammy Monroe Jr top-scoree with 21, while Nedim Muslic added 15.
QBF President Ahmed Abdulrahman al Muftah presided over the closing ceremony and presented the trophies and awards.
Results
QBF League Final
Al Arabi Club beat Al Wakrah Club 61-59 (halftime 43-44)
Main performers – Al Arabi Club: William Byrd 24 pts, Oumar Seck 12 pts & 18 rebounds, Nicholas Stover 11 pts
Al Wakrah Club: Adamu Saaka 18 pts, Markus Johnson 14 pts, Earnest Lee Ross 11 pts
Third place
Qatar Sports Club beat Al Gharafa Club 85-81 (halftime 29-41)
Main performers – Qatar Sports Club: Nicholas West 27 pts & 14 rebounds, Daishon Amir Knight 21 pts, Brandan Kearney 19 pts, Mohamed Yousuf Mohamed 12 pts & 12 rebounds
Al Gharafa Club: Sammy Monroe Jr 21 pts, Nedim Muslic 15 pts, Abdulrahman Saad 13 pts, Malek Selem Abdulla 13 pts
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