Gharafa beat Jaish to win Qatar Cup

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/DohaAl 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 Salem2) El Jaish players pose with basketball officials after the final match.