KIA Motors has one foot in the finals after beating Al Saady Trading 78-68 in a Week 13 headline game in the Microsoft Lumia & 36th FBA Basketball Tournament at the Sheraton Jeddah Hotel court.

Jay Liam hit 24 points to share scoring honors with Cutamora while Defensor added 13 as KIA improved its record to 3-1 in the Inter-Company Division A while sending Saady to its third defeat in four games.

Though Saady (1-3) is still mathematically in contention for a spot in the finals it is no longer in control of its fate with rivals Princeton and Vicky & Sam’s Pride at 2-1 and 1-2 and the teams it must beat in its remaining two games in the second round of eliminations.

Princeton is without the injured Amir Muhannad and the absence of the promising young Egyptian player could work against the team, and Saady will be in an intriguing return bout with Vicky & Sam’s who it beat in their first round encounter.

Jimmy Abdullah Beltran’s Saady squad was well in control in the first half only for KIA to chisel away at its lead on free throws by Liam in the third quarter, which ended tied at 52.

Cutamora scored 9 points of his total in the fourth quarter while Defensor and Best Player Greason each had four in the period as the KIA trio delivered the buffer points in the game.

Westside Beesline continued to sit pretty at the top of Inter-Company D on 5-1, winning 88-65 against JCF Friday thanks mainly to Best Player Yabes with 25 points, Pacaigue and Reyes each with 14 and Antipolo with 12 points.

The victory followed its 63-59 triumph over Dar Jana in the first game Thursday where Antipolo was named Best Player.

In a lone Inter-Company B matchup, Al Mabani trounced Default 62-44 in the fourth game Friday. The trio of Loyola, Mañalac and Vista drilled double figure scores of 13, 11 and 11 for Mabani which kept pace of division leading Nesma Holding. Nesma is 5-1 with Mabani half a game behind at 5-2.

Five Inter-Company C games were played during the week with ALJ United Leasing Co. not breaking a sweat after its opponent Jeddah United defaulted their scheduled game as most of its players were unavailable due to school examinations.

Another ALJ team, Toyota Forklift, won in Inter-Company D 75-64 over AMI Pioneer. Best Player Tayamin led the team to victory with 25 points while Sevilla had 16.

Saudi German Hospital boosted its record to 5-2 for second place in Inter-Company C thanks to an 82-77 triumph over Rainbow Milk in the fifth game Thursday. Best Player Coronado led four players in double figures on 17 points with Meru on 19, Louyola 11 and St. Anthony 10.

In other Inter-Company C games, Lifestyle (4-2) edged winless Legends 64-63, Dar Jana downed Freyssinet 82-76 and Saudi Diyar beat Wafu Wafu Tropa feeps 67-62.

Microsoft Lumia is the major sponsor of the tournament organized in partnership with Team-Up Event Management headed by Mustafa Al-Saady and Rashad Barmada.

The tournament co-sponsors are House of Donuts (Nassier Group) of Samir Nassier, Halalat of Nawaf Tabah (PR Manager) and Centerpoint-Lifestyle & Parfumes Charriol Paris of Deo Francis Vistal and Elealo Janiola.