SGA escapes Al Ahly, stays unbeaten

THE Strong Group Athletics kept their composure and overcame Al Ahly Tripoli, 91-89 in a thrilling match to remain unblemished after the elimination round of the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championships.

Both of these teams were undefeated prior to their match on Thursday morning (Manila time). Given the talent of the Libyan team, Strong Group found themselves trailing by 9 points at the end of the first quarter (18-27).

SGA was still behind 23-31 in the second quarter when they erupted and grabbed momentum, going on a 9-0 run and taking the lead with baskets from Andray Blatche, Andre Roberson, and Jordan Heading.

The lead shifted to both sides as the Libyan squad matched SGA’s energy.  They exchanged baskets, but the Filipinos maintained their lead at the half, 51-50, thanks to a Heading three.

Photo Courtesy: UAE Basketball Association | Facebook

The second half continued to be a close game between the two sides. SGA led by as much as seven points with less than two minutes remaining, but Al Ahly Tripoli closed the gap to 89-88 after a six-point run.

With 20.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Heading’s free throws following Naseim Badrush’s foul gave the Frank Lao-owned team a 91-88 lead. 

The Libyan team attempted to tie the game with two triples but both missed. Wadi Omran Dawo was then fouled by Heading and split his free throws, resulting in Strong Group’s fifth win.

Photo Courtesy: UAE Basketball Association | Facebook

Heading’s torrid shooting performance resulted in 19 points and 5 assists for the squad, and for him the hard-fought game was all about “Who wants it more?”

“That was an unbelievable game. Incredible effort by Libya, and just like Dwight [Howard] said in our huddle, that game is all about grit, all about effort. We’re all tired, fifth game in six days, we just got that one out,” Heading said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Quiambao continued his consistent performance by contributing 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists of his own, while making four three-pointers for the team.

Dwight Howard, who scored 11 points in critical moments of the game, finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds to help Strong Group overcome the Libyan squad.

On the other hand, Badrush led the Libyan team’s scoring with 27 points, while Mohamed Sadi added 22 points in a losing effort.

Strong Group now has a perfect 5-0 win-loss record heading into the elimination stage as the top-seeded club from Group B, and will meet the eventual fourth-seeded team from Group A in the quarterfinals.

Looking at the current rankings, Strong Group will advance to the quarterfinals, where they may meet Alahli Benghazi at 1:15 a.m. on Friday (Manila time).