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Beirut SC and Antonine met in their first game of the final 8 of the Lebanese Basketball Championship. The match was held in Beirut SC’s arena in Chiyah on Monday and ended 98-65 in favor of the home team, who go up 1-0 in the series.
Beirut SC’s coach Joe Ghattas went with his usual lineup of Ali Haidar, Sergio al-Darwish, Ali Mezher, Tyree Corbett and Dar Tucker. Antonine’s Ralph Akl went for a starting lineup of Jordan Davis, Luis Montero, Edward Daniel, Anthony Assi and Bryan Mansour.
Shaky Start
The game was inaugurated by an unexpected strong start by Antonine, who got a four point advantage on Beirut SC early in the first quarter. Beirut SC then quickly got their composure back and made it a tie game. Throughout the quarter, the home team stayed in control and maintained a 6 point lead and ended it on a score of 23-17.
Fine Progress
The second quarter was faster in pace than the first as both teams got many shots off early in the quarter, but scored none due to great defensive displays on the two ends. Beirut SC’s newest player Johnny Hamilton then broke the deadlock and scored his first points for his team, extending their lead further. The home team maintained the same 6 point advantage to hold off a possible comeback from their opponents. The first half ended 45-36 for Beirut SC who showed great defensive resilience, as they found a way to score when it mattered.
The first half showed that Beirut SC had everything they needed to win the game, as they stayed in control for the first two quarters and displayed an impressive defensive performance.
Early in the third quarter, Beirut SC extended their lead to 11 points to stay in control and keep Antonine at bay. This difference between the two teams was sustained until the end of the period, which ended 67-56 for Beirut SC who were by far the better team on the floor tonight, as expected. All Beirut SC had to do was to maintain this large margin and to stay organised to take the lead in the series.
Emphatic Ending
As Beirut SC progressively widened their lead in the fourth quarter, time went by only to confirm an eventual win for the home team. Halfway through the quarter, the lead had gone up to 18 points, further insisting on Beirut SC’s domination in the game. While the lead was ultimately extended beyond 20 points with 3 minutes to go, it was all but confirmed that Beirut SC were already 1-0 in the series and secured an important win. However, things got worse for Antonine, as Jordan Davis, their most important player, suffered an injury. This will inevitably affect the rest of the series. The game finally ended with a difference of 33 points (98-65).
Beirut SC’ emphatic finish towards the end of the game was a statement to the rest of the league, showing that they are true contenders for the championship. As they slowly gained some rhythm in the second half, the home team showed that they were strong.
