Listen to the article
The Lebanese basketball teams Homenetmen, Sagesse and Riyadi all played on the 20th of January in the Dubai Basketball Championship. Unfortunately, only Riyadi was able to snatch a win out of these three teams.
Homenetmen helpless against Tripoli
Al-Ahli Tripoli triumphed once more by defeating Beirut SC (81-75) on January 19th and Homenetmen (93-71) on January 20th in their matches against Lebanese teams.
The Libyan team was able to kickstart the match in rapid-fire fashion as they were able to find gaps in the Homenetmen defence in order to end the quarter in their favour. The second quarter showed that Homenetmen would not go down without a fight as they could respond to Al-Ahli’s fast-paced offense. However, this effort could not get them back quickly into the game
The 3rd quarter started with Al-Ahli getting the better of the Lebanese Team. However, halfway through the quarter, Homenetmen were on their way to staging a much-needed comeback, through successive three-pointers and a fast-paced offensive game. This comeback depended on Jackson’s output, which was very crucial during this run of form. Towards the end of the quarter, the Libyan team found their rhythm back and were able to sink multiple three-pointers to widen the deficit. The quarter ended 75-53 in favour of Al-Ahli Tripoli.
The fourth quarter continued on the same note as Al-Ahli were still going strong and increasing the difference. The match ended 93-71 for Al-Ahli Tripoli’s, who showed their quality and sense of organisation throughout the 4 quarters.
No signs of stopping for Riyadi Beirut
Al Riyadi Beirut met on the afternoon of the 20th of January with the Moroccan team Al Sala. This game ended 89-72 in Riyadi’s favor, who were by far the better team on the floor.
The first quarter started on a strong note as both teams were wasting no time. The Lebanese and Moroccan teams were scoring at both ends back and forth very quickly, whether it was from the inside or outside. The quarter ended 24-18 for Riyadi who were sharper on the offensive end.
The second quarter looked different from the first. While both teams were getting better defensively and closing gaps, this meant that the score would not change for another 3 minutes. Towards the end of the quarter, Riyadi were getting better on each possession, which helped them get the better of Al Sala, with Harris being the main man. The Lebanese team was able to maintain an 8-point advantage over their Moroccan counterparts.
Riyadi’s main goal for the third quarter was to preserve this slight lead while trying to extend it progressively to put the game to bed. As they followed this strategy, the Lebanese team executed it properly, as their lead was increased to 17 points (67-50). The frustration on the Al Sala’s side was getting visible, with their Serbian coach showing his disappointment.
As Riyadi had to maintain a rather large lead, all the team had to do was not switch off or commit silly mistakes. With each passing minute, it was getting clearer that the Lebanese team was about to get their second win in the Dubai Basketball Championship. The match ended 89-72 as Riyadi emerged as victors.
Many vocal supporters
Sagesse went against the Tunisian national basketball team on the night of the 20th of January, in what was the last game for Lebanese teams on this day. Sagesse could not put the Tunisians at bay, as they lost 71-61.
The first quarter showed that the two teams were evenly matched, as both of them were able to answer the opposing team on the opposite end. This quarter ended 18-13 to Sagesse’s advantage. In the second quarter, the Tunisians were slowly getting back in the game to reduce the gap created in the prior quarter. Throughout this quarter, the national team was progressively getting closer to matching Sagesse’s points. The first half eventually ended with both teams having 28 points each.
The third quarter proved to be relatively end-to-end, with both teams scoring rapidly, which showed a certain vulnerability in the two defences. The rest of the quarter only showed that the two teams were very close in terms of quality and scoring, which made the result hard to predict. The Tunisians completed their expected comeback in a matter of minutes and built a narrow lead (51-47).
In the much anticipated fourth quarter, tension was building up, as almost nothing could separate the two teams. At this moment, risks should be taken in order to take the win. The Tunisians got on the front foot after 2:30 minutes without any points being scored. The national team capitalised on Sagesse’s mistakes and saw their lead grow to 10 points halfway through the quarter. They eventually finished the job by winning with a 10-point lead over the Lebanese team (71-61).
