Wakrah’s Cage Jr Calvin Earl (L) is guarded by Gharafa’s Adako Emmanuel Osaro (R) during their Qatar Basketball League match yesterday. Right: Abu-Faisal Fahad Abdulla of Al Arabi (L)
attempts to dribble past Ronald Rembert of Al Khor yesterday.
By Sports Reporter/Doha
Ronald Rembert scored a match-high 27 points as Al Khor produced a magnificent late rally to shock Al Arabi 87-80 in the Qatar Basketball League (QBL) last evening.
At the Al Gharafa Indoor Hall, it was Al Arabi who appeared headed for victory when
they led for most part of the match and were ahead 53-47 at the end of the third quarter before Al Khor engineered a 26-point effort to level 73-all and take the match into overtime.
Combining aggression with stoic defence, Al Khor then produced 14 points in the tiebreaker while restricting Al Arabi to a mere seven.
Al Arabi, who led 21-8 and 41-27 after the first two quarters were deflated by the defeat.
“We should have won the match but we were too complacent towards the final stages,” Al Arabi coach Hatem Mamlouk said.
“But this sometimes happens in sport and I would like to congratulate Al Khor on their win. We will be back strongly in the next match,” he added.
Al Khor coach Ahmed Kamel was delighted with his team’s showing.
“The boys showed great fighting spirit. I can’t have any complaints,” he said.
Rembert scored thrice from three pointers, while Charles Abouo gave him splendid support with 20 points.
For Al Arabi, Moutasim Hamed top-scored with 18 points, while Masoud al-Nasr with 15 and Narcellius Soyebo with 13 also excelled.
In another match, Al Gharafa led from the start to beat Al Wakrah 87-65 with Osaro Adako top-scoring with 27 points for the winners.
Hassino Ndoye with 21 and Mohamed Saad and Dwayne Galloway with 16 each also
excelled for the winners, who held a decisive 62-lead 41 at the end of the third quarter.
For Al Wakrah, Adamu Saaka scored 20, Souleye Ndour 18 and Earl Cage Jr 15.
Today El Jaish play Al Shamal at 5.15pm followed by a clash between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan at 7.25.
