RIYADH: Title holder Al Faisaliah gets the chance to defend its crown against host team Riyadh InterContinental Hotel as both teams emerged with the best record at the end of the round robin semifinals Monday in the 28 th Annual Riyadh Inter-Hotels Basketball Tournament 2015.

Faisaliah and InterCon finished the final four tied on 2-1 while the two other semifinalists, Ritz Carlton and Kempinski, were also tied on 1-2.

Faisaliah put the promising newcomer Kempinski in its place, winning by 77-65. And in a morale-boosting win, the defending champions finally ended the jinx against Ritz Carlton by beating them for the first time in three years 66-54.

InterCon saw its dream to break the Sheraton Riyadh Hotel record of straight wins in the elimination and semifinals of 2014 shattered Monday night by Ritz Carlton in a down the wire encounter in the last match of the semifinal round that ended 64-60 in favor of Ritz Carlton.

That defeat came after InterCon opened its semifinal campaign after topping the eliminations with a 70-67 overtime victory over Kempinski then followed this by beating Faisaliah 70-67.

Kempinski’s lone win in this round of the competition was against Ritz Carlton 60-56.

In a fitting finale to the 2015 season, the two giants of Inter-Hotels, Faisaliah and InterCon, face off in a best-of-three series for the championship in the tournament sponsored by Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers through the generous support of GM Gerald Chevasson.

Despite taking control for three-fourths of the game Ritz Carlton paid dearly for an apparent overconfidence as Kempiski turned its game around in the fourth quarter behind big man Vincent Quintos, Philip Macayayong, playmaker Damian Ramirez, Cyld Dacusin and three-point specialists Rommel Yalung, John Rey Belnas and Rizal Casuncad. The result was that surprising 60-56 win for Kempinski.

In another twist in the semifinals, Faisaliah boys led by diminutive Archie Zabal, workhorse Erano Campo supported by Nino Lauriaga, Carlo Hall and sniper Ryan Legaspi tasted their first win in three years against Ritz Carlton.

Selected scores:

RITZ CARLTON (64) Chowking 18, E. Mendoza 8, M. San Diego 7, J. Tulao 6, R. Jagonob 6, J. Guarin 6, C. Browly 5, C. Valenzzuela 4, C. Garjo 4

INTERCON (60) D. Cac 21, J. Apas 16, P. Mendoza 12, J. Corpus 6, J.Penaroya 2, E. Labang 2, B. Ramos 1

Refs: Freddie Lacson, Christopher Tapia and Arturo Mina.

INTERCON (70) D. Cac 15, C. Ocienas 12, K. Romera 11, J. Apas 10, P. Menodza 7, J. Corpus 7, L. Acharon 4, J. Triunfo 2, E. Labang 2

AL FAISALIAH (67) A. Zabala 28, N. Lauriaga 15, E. Campo 9, R. Inigo 4, L. Garcia 4, C. Hall 4, J. Lopera 3

Refs: Ernie Dela Cruz, Jayson Thomas and Ed Jimena

KEMPINSKI (60) R. Yalung 18, P. Macayayong 12, D. Ramirez 10, D. Marjes 6, V. Quintos 6, JR Belnas 2, C. Dacusin 2, E. Alfonso 2 R. Casuncad 2

RITZ CARLTON (56) C. Browly 21, J. Tulao 11, Chowking 7, R. Jagonob 5, J. Samson 4, E. Menodza 4, C. Valenzuela 2, M. Onofre 2