Al Gharafa captain Omar Abdelkader Salem celebrates after receiving the Qatar Cup from Qatar Cycling Federation president Sheikh Khalid  bin Ali al-Thani at the Gharafa Indoor Hall yesterday.

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Al Gharafa survived a last quarter charge to beat El Jaish 65-57 and win the Qatar Cup at the Gharafa Indoor Hall yesterday.
In a low-scoring, defensive final, Al Gharafa appeared headed for a comfortable win with handy double-figure leads at the end of the first three quarters before El Jaish stretched them in the final 10 minutes to make matters hard for them.
Monroe Samuel Jr with a match-high 23 points was the hero of Al Gharafa’s victory. He received able support from Osaro Adako, who netted 20 points, and Abdelkader Salem, who chipped in with 10.
“It was a deserving victory for us and the match was not as easy as it seemed,” Al Gharafa coach Koussay Hatem told journalists.
“El Jaish put up a good fight, but we were confident throughout and the lead we had a fairly comfortable 15-point lead at the end of the third quarter and that stood us in good stead,” he added.
Al Gharafa had taken a 22-10 lead after the first quarter providing them with a solid base. They continued to stay ahead, leading 32-18 and 49-34 at the end of the second and third quarters.
However, El Jaish staged a remarkable rally, scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter to make a fight of it. Al Gharafa, on the other hand, could only manage 16.
Leon Macklin was the top-scorer for El Jaish with 16 points, while Hani Abilmona had 12 and Boney Watson 10. It was Abilmona and Watson who sparked the late El Jaish charge, scoring a couple of three-pointers each towards the final stages of the match.
Al Gharafa were quick on the breaks, scoring nine fast-break points, while El Jaish had only two.
El Jaish coach Dragoslav Milovanovic was disappointed with the outcome of the match.
“We lost momentum early and although we managed to put up a fight in the last quarter it was always going to be an uphill task because of the 49-34 lead Al Gharafa enjoyed going into the final period,” Milovanovic said.
“Now we have the Emir Cup to play for and we hope to put up a good display,” added Milovanovic.


BELOW:
1) Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani presents  the winners’ cheque to Gharafa captain Omar Abdelkader Salem

2) El Jaish players pose with basketball officials after the final match.



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