Dubai: Jumeirah College (JC) and Al Mawakeb School (AMS) faced off in the first match of the inaugural High School Basketball Championship which started on Saturday at Al Wasl Sports Club in Dubai.
After a slow start from both teams the action picked up with AMS star centre, Ahmad Rahmy, who controlled both ends of the court with his superb defence and excellent low post offence. JC couldn't find rhythm or a solution for the towering Rahmy, and soon the point differential was mounting as the half ended with a 24-12 lead for AMS.
At the beginning of the third quarter, a little improvement and some tactical play by JC on Rahmy helped them start a comeback but it was short-lived as AMS captain Ala'a Anbari took over the play-making and helped in creating chances that eventually increased the gap to 17 points. The tempo dropped in the fourth quarter as JC were able to reduce the margin, but AMS had a commanding lead to close out the game 34-20.
Player of the game Rahmy who led all scorers with 20 points said: "It was a good game against a physically strong team. Fortunately, we were able to stop them defensively and hurt them in the post."
In the second game of the day, International School of Choueifat Dubai (ISC) blew out their opposition, Dubai International School (DIS). From the start, ISC showed they are contenders for the title, with coach Teodorescu acknowledging that his "young group have been playing together for over four years". It showed as they produced a scintillating display of teamwork and athleticism.
After a 22-8 lead in the first quarter that was spearheaded by ISC forward Malek Al Jaber, DIS could not find a basket for over 13 minutes of play. ISC's great defence and fast breaks helped them stretch their lead to an insurmountable one to end the third quarter 54-11. Unlike AMS in the first game, ISC did not slow down and ended the game 76-17.