Adamu Saaka and Osaro Adaka were the stars as Al Arabi quelled a mid-match challenge from Al Khor to clinch an 88-79 win in their Emir Cup clash at the Al Gharafa Club yesterday.
In yet another tense contest following two thrilling games on the opening day on Monday, Al Arabi had to summon their last reserves of strength after Al Khor threatened to take the match away from them.
The match began with Al Khor matching Al Arabi point for point as the teams tied 10-10 after the first five minutes.
But as the match progressed, Al Arabi inched ahead and took first quarter honours by taking a 21-18 lead.
However, they failed to take full advantage of the situation as Al Khor fought back with 16 points in the second quarter to grab a five-point advantage (44-39) at the halfway stage.
Al Khor continued to attack relentlessly and enjoyed an eight-point lead (52-44) after five minutes in the third quarter, but lost some of their steam after that.
It was at this moment that Al Arabi turned the tide, eventually winning the third quarter 56-54 and then producing a 32-point effort in the final period to put the issue beyond doubt.
Saaka nailed four three-pointers out of six attempts, also grabbing nine rebounds and seven assists and proved the key player for his team.
For Al Khor, Gary Layton scored 36, while Demetrius Haymon and Shawky Mohamed had 20 and 11, respectively.
In the second match of the day, Al Shamal scored 26 points in the final quarter to beat Qatar Sports Club 80-70.
Al Shamal just about kept their nose ahead after every quarter but accelerated in the final five minutes with 19 points, while restricting their rivals to just eight.
Mohamed Harat was the top-scorer for his side with 29, while Saleh Elhag Ali and Nikola Vasojevic had 20 and 18, respectively.
For Qatar Sports Club, Edward Justice scored 30 with Ibou Sarr providing valuable support with 22.
On Saturday, El Jaish will play Al Ahli at 5pm followed by a match between Al Rayyan and Al Sadd at 7pm.