Sport
Rayyan beat ASU to enter FIBA Asian Champions Cup final
Rayyan beat ASU to enter FIBA Asian Champions Cup final
Agencies/Amman
Qatar’s Al Rayyan’s experienced roster displayed solid tactics and temperament in keeping a tight check on Jordanian hosts ASU’ enthusiasm and eked out a 71-67 win, that took them to the final of the 24th FIBA Asia Champions Cup yesterday. |
The win marked twice former champions Rayyan’s seventh – the first since Qatar hosted the 21st FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Doha in 2010 — entry into the final, where they await they winners of the second semi-final between Foolad Mahan of Iran and Bahrain’s Al Hala.
Rayyan coach Rowsom attributed the success the ability of the team to withstand a massive rally in the third quarter, when they almost blew a 10-point lead off.
“I think we made lesser mistakes than any game before,” the American coach said.
ASU turned the ball over 20 times on 4 steals as against Rayyan’s 16 steals on 7 turnovers, which stood as the most glaring difference in the official scouting report for the game.
“Yes, that was a huge factor,” said Rowsom.
“When we went into the game we told ourselves that we stood a great chance if we cut down our mistakes. And that’s exactly we did,” Rayyan spearhead Yasseen Ismail, whose slam dunk at the buzzer for the game sealed the issue beyond doubt, said.
Imports Boney Watson and Alvin Mofunanya – the former a naturalised Qatari – combined to score 40 points and collected 8 rebounds to keep Rayyan for a better part of the game. They were the only to score in the double-digits but it didn’t matter with the others in Rowsom’s 10-man rotation all chipping in.
ASU shot better, – on the paint as well as from the perimeter – looked and collected far better on either glass and even had a better show of rotating the ball. So where exactly did they lose the plot?
As star Jordanian player Sam Daghlas, watching the game from the stands, commented: “Too many errors!”