Defending champions Riyadi cruise into semis with Sporting win

08 October 2012

SIDON, Lebanon: Defending champions Riyadi Beirut claimed top spot in group B of the 22nd Housam Din al-Hariri tournament after a comfortable win over Sporting Egypt in the final day of the preliminary round.

Riyadi won 76-67 at the Sidon Arena, with Egyptian veteran Ismael Ahmad and youngster Ahmad Ibrahim top scoring for the winners with 15 points each.

Sporting made a contest of the match until the third quarter, where they were outscored 22-9 by the impressive Riyadi.

The Beirut-based club were looking to end the first round with their third victory in as many matches, but their Egyptian counterparts – also unbeaten – proved a stern test.

The defending champions showed their potential in the early stages of the game, limiting the offensive threat of their opponents as they entered the first break with a healthy 19-8 lead after some good early work from Egyptian import Ismael Ahmad.

Riyadi managed to successfully keep Sporting’s Hamdi Braa quiet through out the night, with the Egyptian side’s leading scorer only going for only 1 point all game.

Sporting struggled to break the defense of Riyadi, which forced the Egyptian guard into committing several turnovers in the middle of the court through well-designed traps at the sidelines.

However, Sporting responded well in the second quarter, surprising their opponents with the same defensive intensity, as they outscored them 21-16.

A late three pointer from veteran point guard Wael Badr ensured the Egyptians were still in touch at halftime.

The Lebanese side, looking for their 12th title in this tournament and their second in a row, were having an off shooting night, with their wastefulness keeping the visiting team in the match.

Riyadi only converted 7 of their 17 attempts from free throws, and went 3/19 from the 3-point line.

Yet Riyadi were dominant from inside – especially with Ahmad and Ibrahim – and when Croatian giant Dalibor Bagaric landed a massive dunk, their lead extended to 14 points.

Sporting’s frustrations were beginning to show, as they failed to score in the first four minutes after the break thanks largely to a stubborn Riyadi defense.

In a like for like approach to his Panathinaikos and Olympiakos days, Riyadi’s newly appointed Slobodan Subotic hurled 18-year-old playmaker Wael Arakji into the contest with its outcome still in the balance.

Arakji had impressed in his last match – scoring nine points in the final quarter against Antranik Friday – and the young point guard once again vindicated Subotic’s decision.

Arakji showed no fear against his more experienced opponents, with his drive to the basket toward the end of the third quarter proof of his talent as Riyadi went into the final quarter having widened the lead to 19 points (57-38).

The “Yellow Castle” kept their momentum until the last quarter, although their tempo declined once the game was firmly in control.

Subotic pushed in the bench players, who although failing to maintain the strong lead were able to see out the match.

Ismael Ahmad finished with 15 points along with 18 rebounds, while Ibrahim – averaging almost 18 points per game so far – finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

The win means Riyadi sit top of Group A with nine points from three wins in as many matches, while Sporting also qualified for the semifinals after their 2-1 record put them in second place.

In the semis, Riyadi will face another Egyptian side, Al-Ahly, while Sporting will clash with African Champions Etoile Du Sahel.

Riyadi are using this tournament as preparation for the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, which they host next week.