Al Rayyan slump continues as Khor pull off upset win

Tribune News Network
DOHA
Seventeen-time champions Al Rayyan Club's terrible slump continued and this time it was Al Khor Club which embarrassed them during their resurgent 83-72 victory in the Qatar Basketball Federation League at the Al Gharafa Club Indoor Club on Sunday.
In a match that saw the lead change the hands 17 times and on five occasions, both Al Khor and Al Rayyan were deadlocked, it was the former who broke the shackles in the third quarter after junior players Omar Almakhtasan and Mustafa Lasheen shone brightly in the second quarter and brought them within a point of pulling level (32-33).
Al Rayyan Club, who could get just one basket in the final two minutes of the second quarter, continued to have the dry spell even in the next one. This allowed Al Khor Club to rise strongly and they used their best seven-point run to pull six points away in the third quarter at one stage (51-46).
With their 201-cm pair of forward Darrell Blackmon Jr and centre Khobi Williamson sinking their shots, Al Khor built up a 10-point cushion in the last quarter and many times did not let the lead drop lower than nine points. Al Khor, who had lost three out of four games so far, pulled off the biggest upset and went on to complete their fine victory.
Blackmon and Williamson both recorded brilliant double-double each. Point guard Jawan Davis added 12 points, while Lasheen managed 11.
For Al Rayyan Club, who had 19 turn-overs and conceded 20 points off them, guard Sherwood Brown led with 19 points. Forward Stephen Hurt had 18 points and 15 rebounds, while veteran centre Tanguy Ngombo also managed a double-double. Meho Haracic collected 10.
In another match, the 2012-13 champions Al Sadd Club inflicted a fifth defeat of the season on Al Shamal when they won by 100-81. The 208-cm centre Nasser al Rayes recorded 25 points, while Darrius Oldham supported him with 24 and Babacar Dieng added 22. Julius Coles Jr netted 18 to help the winner taste the third win in five matches so far.
For Al Shamal, Elhag Ali Saleh got 20 points, Alioune Tew (19 points and 16 rebounds) and Moses Ahmabi (12 points and 10 rebounds) had a double-double apiece. Dale Bryan and Abdul Qadir Kosar scored 11 each.