The tournament’s best two teams, Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers and Al Faisaliah Hotel, did justice to their billing by winning their first two semifinal games and heading straight to the finals in the 27th Annual Riyadh Inter-Hotels Basketball Tournament at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel Court.

The victories gave Sheraton and Faisaliah 2-0 records and since the result of their third game against each other would have been academic, the committee decided it would instead be Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series.

Sheraton was simply too much for Marriot Riyadh Hotel rolling to an 85-48 victory that was followed by Sheraton’s tense 77-73 triumph over league sponsor InterCon.

It was more of the same for the losing teams — Faisaliah beating InterCon 81-77 and Marriott 80-67.

InterCon and Marriott clash in a knockout game for third and fourth place at 7 p.m. Friday with the first game of the finals between Sheraton and Faisaliah at 9 p.m.

The Sheraton-InterCon match was close with no more than 4 points separating both teams. The third quarter ended 60-58 to Sheraton.

The game was tied at 69 with 2 minutes to play. But Sheraton got its big break when Marvin Delos Reyes hit a three to spark an 8-4 windup that took the fight out of InterCon. Helping Delos Reyes in that fateful spurt were slasher Ziyao Soro, high-leaping Joseph Abad and Jhuk Campo.

Marriott boys, who bloomed late in the tournament and led by veteran Ed Manansala, tried their best to match up against the Faisaliah.

Their best was not good enough as Al Faisaliah boys anchored by Marvin Casubuan, Abel Coral, Ryan Legaspi, Reynaldo Eusebio, Archie Zabala with support from Carlo Hall, Joseph Iphil, Nino Lauriaga and Hermie Ofianga asserted their authority in the one-sided contest.

The scores:

AL FAISALIAH (81) — R. Legaspi 33, A. Zabala 19, M. Casubuan 18, R. Inigo 4, N. Lauriaga 4, A. Coral 2, C. Hall 1

INTERCON (77) J. Apas 20, H. Gonzales 18, J. Corpuz 13, R. Sabejon 8, L. Acharon 8, E. Labang 7, L. Dela Rama 3

Refs: Ernie Dela Cruz, Mohamed Villamena and Ping Lacson

SHERATON (85) — Z. Soro 18, Jr De Guzman 17, . Abad 10, N. Hilario 10, M. Delos Reyes 8, J. Campo 7, A. delos Reyes 4, J. basa 3, C. Tan 2, J. Concepcion 2, V. Tallada 2, N. Moralit 2

MARRIOTT (48) — R. Baldevia 17, C. Tolengco 7, V. Cesicar 7, N. Miraato 6, I. Agapay 3, E. Manansala 2, Jr Gallardo 2, E. Dalangin 2, E. Salac 2

AL FAISALIAH (80) — R. Legaspi 17, M. Casubuan 16, A. Coral 11, R. Eusebio 9, A. Zabala 6, C. Hall 6, J. Iphil 5, R. Inigo 4, N. Lauriaga 2, H. Ofianga 2, R. Lumahang 2

MARRIOTT (67) — R. Baldevia 20, E. Dalangin 14, C. Tolengco 11, Jr Gallardo 9, V. Cesicar 6, Ed Manansala 4, N. Miraato 3

SHERATON (77) — Z. Soro 29, J. Abad 15, M. Delos Reyes 15, J. Campo 12, Jr De Guzman 2, A. Concepcion 2, V. Tallada 2

INTERCON (73) — J. Apas 19, M. Castillo 12, R. Sabejon 10, L. Acharon 10, J. Corpus 9, B. Ramos 9 and E. Labang 4. Refs: Ed Tamayo, Ernie Dela Cruz, Ping Lacson