The Riyadi club, reigning champions of Lebanon, the WASL, the WASL Final 8 and the Dubai International Championship, started their Champions League Basketball Asia (BCLA) campaign on the right foot. The Lebanese club, representing West Asia, thrashed China's Liaoning Flying Leopards 118-75 on Sunday in Dubai. Riyadi delivered a convincing performance throughout the four quarters.
A new face
Coach Ahmad Farran lined up his team with his best players: Thon Maker, Hayk Gyokchyan, Karim Zeinoun, Wael Arakji and the new recruit, Zack Lofton. In the absence of the team's point guard, Ali Mansour, Zack Lofton brilliantly filled in during his first match wearing the Riyadi jersey. Despite the controversy surrounding his signing due to attitude problems, the player performed excellently overall, scoring 20 points and achieving a career-high with 9 assists.
A rain of points
The Lebanese team started the game quickly with an 8-2 run. Riyadi's offense relied on Wael Arakji, who drove to the basket effortlessly on every possession. The team's star scored 14 points in this quarter (37-20 at the 10th minute). Riyadi continued their momentum by relying on Kikanovic in the second quarter. Their overall play remained solid throughout, staying organized on defense and effective on offense. The first half ended with a score of 65-32.
The Lebanese team did not slow down in the third quarter, as the opposing team seemed to lose all hope of a comeback. The Manara team remained ruthless on offense, extending their lead to nearly 50 points (100-51). As the game drew to a close, Coach Farran rotated his players to finish the match. The game concluded with a score of 118-75, confirming the Lebanese victory in the first match.
After completely shutting down the Liaoning Flying Leopards, Riyadi will now focus on their next match, against Shabab al-Ahli on Tuesday. No doubt this will be a tougher opponent than the Chinese club.
A new face
Coach Ahmad Farran lined up his team with his best players: Thon Maker, Hayk Gyokchyan, Karim Zeinoun, Wael Arakji and the new recruit, Zack Lofton. In the absence of the team's point guard, Ali Mansour, Zack Lofton brilliantly filled in during his first match wearing the Riyadi jersey. Despite the controversy surrounding his signing due to attitude problems, the player performed excellently overall, scoring 20 points and achieving a career-high with 9 assists.
A rain of points
The Lebanese team started the game quickly with an 8-2 run. Riyadi's offense relied on Wael Arakji, who drove to the basket effortlessly on every possession. The team's star scored 14 points in this quarter (37-20 at the 10th minute). Riyadi continued their momentum by relying on Kikanovic in the second quarter. Their overall play remained solid throughout, staying organized on defense and effective on offense. The first half ended with a score of 65-32.
The Lebanese team did not slow down in the third quarter, as the opposing team seemed to lose all hope of a comeback. The Manara team remained ruthless on offense, extending their lead to nearly 50 points (100-51). As the game drew to a close, Coach Farran rotated his players to finish the match. The game concluded with a score of 118-75, confirming the Lebanese victory in the first match.
After completely shutting down the Liaoning Flying Leopards, Riyadi will now focus on their next match, against Shabab al-Ahli on Tuesday. No doubt this will be a tougher opponent than the Chinese club.
Jad Ramadan
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