JEDDAH, 4 April 2006 — In the three-game playoffs between the four teams left standing Al-Ansar and Al-Ahli brought down Al-Ittihad and Ohod on Sunday night in the Saudi Basketball League.
The winners in the race to two contests advance to the championship game, and top favorites Ittihad and Ohod face elimination in the tournament.
Young Ansar toughed it out and defeated Ittihad 95-86. Ittihad shot well in the first half. Ali Mughrabi made two three pointers and three layups, Michael Sanders hit twice from the arch and floated one in.
Steven Howard sank two under the basket and ended up on the foul line four times. Ittihad managed a seven-point lead until the last four minutes of the half. After a timeout Ansar came out blazing and knocked down four three pointers — two each from Hitem Banawee and Ahmed Essa. Jules Aw was fantastic driving to the basket and following missed shots to score 14 at the break. Ansar finished the half up 45-40. The third quarter was tight; the score went back and forth. Ansar nursed a four-point lead to end the third 67-63.
Ansar’s intense hustle, defense and fast breaks baffled Ittihad’s shooters and knocked down their percentage. In the fourth period, Ansar kept on ticking and ticking, but Ittihad wore down.
Aw never let up going to the basket and scored 30 points for Ansar. Ahmed Essa hit two threes down the stretch five for the night and finished with 20 points. Banawee had four threes, one in the last two minutes and tallied 22 points.
Ittihad coach Patrick Stewart said, “I have never seen them shoot so well, they had an extremely good shooting night.” “11 three-point shots.”
Ittihad had five players in double figures. Mughrabi had 23 points, Howard 20, Sanders 15 and Adel Al Johani 12.
The officials called a terrible game both ways, which left the players tense with the game threatening to get out of control. Ansar scored twice in the last 45 seconds for the victory.
Ahli went all the way in the 81-69 victory against Ohod in the second game. Ahli opened an 8-point lead in the first period. They held a steady pace and shot well in the first period for a 23 –16 lead. The first half ended with Ahli on top at 47-36.
Ahli made 6 three pointers in the half — two each by Damon, Macmoud, Khalid. They were overpowering in the paint scoring whenever they could get past Ohod’s Walid who had five blocks in the half. Ohod’s scoring came from Abdul Moshen 11, and Nervine 9 who are both guards. It is difficult to win with only the backcourt scoring most of the points.
The third quarter ended with Ahli taking a 63-50 spread.
Ohod only scored 21 points in the second half. Ahli’s defense kicked in and made the difference. Moshen finished with only 13 points, Nervine had 16 and Walid Al Medani 12 for the night. For Ahli Damon Forney had 20 points, Fawaz 13, Mahmoud 11 and Khalid 12. The pace was fast but because of tight defense scoring was light on both sides in the second half.
