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3. Women’s Basketball: Riyadi, Beirut Club, Homenetmen and Azour Chasing the Crown

The semi-finals of the women’s championship promise a show. The four best teams in the country face off in explosive best-of-five series. At the end of the tunnel: the coveted title and a scent of revenge...

Lebanese women’s basketball is entering the thick of it! Time for the semi-finals, with four heavyweights ready to battle it out in razor-sharp series. Riyadi, Beirut Club, Homenetmen and Azour form a blazing square of aces, ready to do whatever it takes to seize the Grail.

The Clash of the Titans

On one side, Riyadi, the well-oiled machine (16-2 in regular season), faces Beirut Club (11-7) in an explosive series. During their last clash in the regular season, the Yellows had thrashed their rivals 77-59. That night, Carter Keunsch (18 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl) and Angela Tompkins (18 pts, 12 reb) imposed their law, supported by the Lebanese Rebecca Akl (16 pts, 5 ast). But watch out for Imani Stanford (17 pts, 14 reb, 4 blocks), a pillar of Beirut, backed by Brooke Williams and Zeina Elias.

Game 1 will be played this Monday at Saeb Salam at 8:30 PM, followed by Game 2 on Wednesday at Chiyah Forum at 6:30 PM. Riyadi will have home-court advantage for Games 1, 3 and 5.

Clash of the Tough Ones, in a Tie

On the other side of the bracket, Homenetmen, Azour… and one observation: three teams ended the regular season tied with a 16-2 record. But only two will face off here in an open series. Homenetmen, carried by Marta Burci (28 pts) and Jillian Archer (24 pts), had to dig deep to eliminate Bikfaya after overtime (90-85). Opposite, Azour struck hard against Champs (81-47), with point guard Amar Mansour in “triple-double” mode (20 pts, 12 reb, 11 ast), sending a strong signal to her opponents.

Game 1 will take place on Tuesday at ND Louaizé (Zouk Mosbeh) at 9:00 PM, the series will continue with alternation between ND Louaizé (Games 1, 3, 5) and Aghpalian-Mezher (Games 2, 4).

The Forces in Presence

Riyadi wants to confirm its status as a reference in Lebanese basketball. Beirut Club dreams of causing an upset. Homenetmen counts on its cohesion and foreign stars, while Azour, a young club on the national chessboard, wants to strike hard and make history.

The End Is Near…

The suspense is building up, the courts will vibrate, the stands will ignite. Who will emerge from the magic square to touch the Grail? Verdict in the coming days…