- 12:25
Missing their two stars but driven by their bench and a dominant Thon Maker, Riyadi had to dig deep to win Game 1 of their semifinal series against a gritty Homenetmen side (104–101). The series is on.
Riyadi trembled, staggered, but never broke. On Saturday night at the Saeb Salam Arena in Manara, Beirut’s Yellow Army clawed out a hard-fought win over a determined Homenetmen squad set on shaking things up in this Final Four. Final score: 104–101, after a thrilling, intense and spectacular encounter in front of around 1,500 fired-up fans.
A Breathtaking Duel
This opening game delivered on all fronts. With Wael Arakji and Amir Saoud sidelined, Riyadi threw their new American point guard Kerron DeShields into the fire, while leaning on a dominant Thon Maker (30 points, 11 rebounds) in top form. On the Homenetmen side, their foreign trio showed no signs of backing down: Jordan Stevens (29 pts, 11 assists), Tyler Tarik Bey (27 pts, 17 rebounds) and Bassel Harfouch (21 pts, all from beyond the arc!) wreaked havoc on Riyadi’s defense.
A Statistical Frenzy
Both teams went toe-to-toe in a high-octane battle, especially under the boards. Riyadi grabbed 49 rebounds (16 offensive), dished out 31 assists and tallied 8 steals. Head coach Ahmad Farran’s squad was boosted by a triple-double from Ali Mansour (16 pts, 10 rebounds, 16 assists), a standout performance that drew a loud ovation from the crowd.
Karim Zeinoun was another key figure with 24 points, including six three-pointers, while Marcus Georges-Hunt added 21 valuable points.
Homenetmen held their own with 41 rebounds, 22 assists, 12 steals and an impressive three-point shooting display (12/33), led by Harfouch, Ajami (14 pts, 5 assists) and DeWayne Jackson (10 pts, 5 assists, 3 steals).
Suspense Until the Final Buzzer
The quarter-by-quarter scores reflected the fierce battle: (28–22, 25–22, 23–28, 28–29). Homenetmen even had the ball to tie the game in the final seconds, but Riyadi’s defense held firm.
A Scorching Series Ahead
Riyadi now leads the best-of-five series 1–0, but it’s far from over. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at 9:45 PM at the Mezher Arena, Homenetmen’s home turf, where they’ll look to level the series in front of their fans.
In the other semifinal, Beirut Club faces La Sagesse on Sunday night in a showdown that promises just as much fire.
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