Dubai: Lebanon’s Champville started their campaign on a rousing note with an 89-78 win against Jordan, while Team Philippines were disqualified after they failed to show up for their match against Al Riyadhi of Lebanon on the second day of the 2nd December International Basketball Tournament being played at Al Shabab Club.
The Jordanians, healthy 108-84 winners against minnows Team Philippines on the opening night on Thursday, simply couldn’t match up to the Lebanese, with star player Fadhi Al Khatib leading the scoring onslaught with 32 points.
Introduced midway through the first period, American Sam Hoskin 19 points to play the perfect foil, while Thompson Garnett chipped in with 11 points. For Jordan, Mohammad Hamdan top scored with 16 and Ayman Daees added a dozen.
“The main thing for me is to have this team together before we start the Championship [in Lebanon]. You can be sure I will give the younger players a run in the next match [against Sharjah Club on Saturday],” Champville coach Ghassan Sarkis told Gulf News.
Champville started on a promising note riding on the pedigree of their star Fadhi Al Khatib’s 12 points including a three-pointer to lead Jordan by a narrow two points at 22-20 at the end of the opening quarter.
However, Jordan fought back with a nine-point unanswered blast including a triple each from Moosa Al Awadhi and Wisam Asoos early in the second quarter putting them ahead 33-24 within three minutes of the second period.
But the Lebanese fought back with American Thompson Garnett doing the bulk of the scoring with six points including a couple of charity shots while coach Ghassan Sarkis’s son Carl stole a couple of clever baskets to trail the Jordanians by two points (37-39) at the half-time whistle.
In the third period it was Champville taking over the scoring reins with Sam Hoskin pushing in six points and Al Khatib helping himself to five points including a charity shot to lead by nine points at 51-42 midway. And with Al Khatib’s nine points complementing Hoskin’s ten Champville broke away for the final quarter with an eight-point cushion (62-55).
Jordan did come within four points of the Lebanese only to see Al Khatib, Hoskin and Garnett contribute nine and five points respectively to ultimately end 89-78 winners.
The six participating teams have been divided into two groups with today being the final day for preliminary round matches. The group leaders will meet in final while the runners-up will play-off for third place on Sunday.
The tournament is sponsored by Sadaf Group of Companies, Al Naboodah, RTA, DEWA, Government of Dubai’s Department of Economic Development and Dubai Police.
