5 hours Ago
Doha: Al Gharafa wrapped up the first round of the Qatar Basketball League (QBL) with a 87-70 victory over Al Khor at home yesterday as both sides failed to secure a top four finish in the standings.
Despite falling behind in the first two quarters, Al Gharafa staged a brilliant second-half comeback to take control and eventually win the game for their fifth win of the season.
Al Khor were off to a strong start, winning the opening quarter 24-20 before following up with a thrilling two-point lead (19-17) in the second quarter.
Despite trailing 39-41 at the halfway mark, Al Gharafa responded strongly in the third quarter with a 21-11 score, before finishing off with another 27-18 score in the final quarter.
Nedim Muslic was the star of the day, posting an impressive double-double that fueled Al Gharafa’s comeback.
Muslic scored 36 points while making 16 rebounds and an assist playing full duration of the game.
Azam Mohamed Yakan chipped in with 19 points while Raslan Rashid Al Abdulla also contributed to sell the total with 14 points.
For Al Khor, Bailey Joel Hardy was the top scorer with 23 points while Shawki Abdelhamid Ismeil made 15 points. At the end of 16 games in Round 1, Al Gharafa had collected 21 points and finished on the sixth spot, while Al Khor ended up in the last place with just three wins and 19 points.
Earlier, on Wednesday night, Al Wakrah edged out Al Shamal by a single point (96-95) in a thrilling encounter.
Al Shamal started strongly, winning the first quarter 27-22, but Al Wakrah responded strongly in the second, finishing 32-22. Al Shamal regained momentum in the third quarter with a score of 26-18.
The fourth quarter saw an intense battle, but Al Wakrah delivered an entertaining show, winning 22-20 to clinch the match by one point. Sindou Ismail Diallo scored 36 points for Al Wakrah, while Christian Casas was the top scorer for Al Shamal with 21 points.
Al Wakrah finished the League stage on eighth spot with 20 points, while Al Shamal wait for the outcome of the game between Al Arabi and Al Ahli to enter the play-off round.
