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Doha, Qatar: Bahraini star Mustafa Hussein and Bosnian Elmedin Kikanovic emerged as the standout performers, helping Al Arabi launch their title defence in style with a crushing 117-72 win over Qatar SC in Amir Cup Basketball Tournament yesterday.
Al Arabi asserted their dominance from the tip-off, leading all four quarters with scores of 32-15, 29-12, 23-19 and 33-26.
In their opening Group A clash played at Al Gharafa Hall, Hussein lit up the scoresheets with 33 points while adding eight rebounds and six assists as Kikanovic made 26 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Al Arabi's Mustafa Hussein prepares to shoot.
They were supported by Ahmed Saeed who delivered a strong all-around display, contributing 21 points, six rebounds and two assists, and Bruce Masset who added 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Khalid Abdelbaset was also impressive, scoring 12 points while making nine rebounds and four assists to power Al Arabi’s dominance.
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Qatar SC, meanwhile, struggled to match Al Arabi’s power despite the efforts of Georgios Mykoniatis and Kolako Amadou Konate.
Mykoniatis scored 21 points while making seven rebounds and three assists.
Konate made a double-double with 11 points, 17 rebounds and two assists.
The loss marked their second straight defeat in the group stage, following a narrow defeat to Al Sadd (98-90) on Monday.
In another tightly contested Group A encounter, Al Ahli continued their unbeaten run with a thrilling 80-78 win over Al Sadd.
Al Ahli skipper Mohammed H Z Abbashar delivered a standout performance with a powerful double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, along with three assists. Raekwon Deshawn Rogers also added 20 points and made 11 rebounds and two assists. Mahmoud Luay Darwish also made a valuable contribution, adding nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, helping Al Ahli secure their second consecutive win in Group A.
Archie Lee Goodwin topped all scorers for Al Sadd with 24 points, while Babacar Dieng and Ndoye Elhadj Seydou scored 14 each.
The tournament continues tomorrow with Al Shamal taking on Al Khor, while Al Wakrah face Al Rayyan in their Group B encounters.
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