10 March 2014

BEIRUT: Riyadi delivered one of their worst performances of the season Saturday, going down 70-63 against eighth-placed Homenetmen in round 10 of the Lebanese Basketball League at Mezher. With an aggressive display, the Armenian side outmuscled Riyadi, the best defensive team in the league, on both ends and led by as many as 20 points in the third period.

Riyadi played the match without their American center, Loren Woods, who has been suspended for two games following violent conduct against Champville last Sunday, and he will also miss the game against Bejjeh Monday.

In his absence, American center Terrence Leather and former Manara stalwart Joe Vogel outclassed Riyadis front court, while the latter, who is still playing at the age of 40, put in a superb performance netting 7-of-11 field goal attempts including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Leather led the scoring for Homenetmen with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Vogel added 17 points and nine rebounds and Dion Dixon notched 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Sevag Ketenjian also delivered a solid performance with nine points and four rebounds, while 18-year-old Marc Korjian, who played as a starter, had six points from two 3-pointers.

Egyptian veteran Ismael Ahmad netted 15 points and 14 rebounds for Riyadi, while Amir Saoud added 14 points and Ali Haidar had 13 points and eight rebounds.

The loss has proved costly for Riyadi as they squandered top spot to Amchit for the first time on head-to-head advantage, as they both share the same record of 8-2.

Meanwhile, the famous win sees Homenetmen move level with seventh placed Champville at 3-7, after their loss against Tadamon Saturday 85-75.

American duo Hugh Robertson and Jarrid Famous combined for 55 points, as Tadamon recorded their second win in as many games against Champville this season.

Robertson finished with 29 points and nine rebounds, while Famous added 26 points and seven rebounds. Bashir Ammoury also impressed with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Serbian center Vladan Vukosavljevic top scored for Champville with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Georgian point guard Giorgi Tsintsadze added 17 points and six rebounds. Sabah Khoury and Hussein Khatib had 14 and 10 points each.

Tadamon ensured sixth spot at 4-6 following three consecutive losses.

Round 10 of Lebanese basketball also saw victory for Amchit against Sagesse (96-92) after overtime, while Byblos defeated Hoops and Mouttahed saw off Bejjeh.

Meanwhile, Mouttahed rallied in the last quarter to beat Byblos 67-62 in round 11 at Tripoli Sunday.

The Tripoli side also avenged their first round loss to the Jbeil outfit 80-88. Byblos led for much of the game until veteran guard Rony Fahed hit a big 3-pointer to give his side a one-point lead before Mouttahed eventually pulled away

American guard Corey Williams led the scoring for the winners with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while his compatriot Hasan Whiteside added 15 points, 19 rebounds and six blocks. Bassel Bawji also had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Jay Youngblood posted 18 points and five rebounds for Byblos, while Mazen Mneimneh added 13 points and Mike Fraser contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.

With the win, Mouttahed move from fifth to third place at 8-3, but they will drop to fourth if Sagesse beat Hoops Wednesday. Byblos are now fifth at 7-4.

Round 11 resumes Monday when Riyadi host Bejjeh.

Copyright The Daily Star 2014.