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Lebanese basketball teams SC Beirut and La Sagesse met on September 30 in the final of the Doha International Championship. Until this match, La Sagesse was successful in retaining its title, as it won the cup the previous year. This time around, SC Beirut, who never participated in this cup before, took the win over the defending championship in what was a rather one-sided match (90-62).
Beirut showcased a strong start in the first quarter. Its solid performance was characterized by an efficient defensive game, whereas Sagesse was having a hard time on the offensive end, missing many shots. Beirut’s center, Ali Haidar, was notably one of the better players in this quarter as he led the scoring for his team. He was also an important factor on the defensive end, where he collected many major rebounds. The first quarter ended 21-10 in favor of Beirut.
In the second quarter, SC Beirut wasted no time to score as the team continued where it left off, pursuing its prolific outing. Sagesse could only score 17 points and 1 out of 13 three-point attempts in the first half. On the other hand, Beirut was capable of extending its lead to 21 points (48-27).
The third quarter was similar to the previous one. Whenever Sagesse scored, SC Beirut could pick up the ball and go on to answer in the same manner. Even though the green team showed that there was still a fight in them, it was not sufficient because Beirut was still able to almost maintain the same lead (69-47).
The final quarter represented a countdown for the crowning of SC Beirut as Doha cup champions. Throughout the match, the team proved to be relentless on both ends, showcasing an impressive performance by letting Sagesse score only 62 points. Ali Mezher was undoubtedly the MVP of the game with 19 points after yet another remarkable outing.
This win, which made SC Beirut the newest basketball champions, represents much more than a trophy. By dominating all game long, Beirut was able to cement its name as one of the best teams in the Middle East after winning the title and defeating its contenders.
