Heir Apparent Cup: Eljaish Beat Al Sadd to Top Group 1

Doha, March 04 (QNA) - Eljaish beat Al Sadd, 61-56, and clinched the top spot in Group 1 of the basketball tournament for the Heir Apparent Cup here last night at the Al Gharafa Indoor Hall. Al Gharafa scored their second win, beating hapless Al Ahli earlier in the night. The hosts controlled the match from the start, leading by as much as 29 points, before settling down to a 96-76 rout. Eljaish raced ahead to a ten-point lead, 28-18, in the second quarter on the back of offensive forays centered around Fadi Abilmona. Trailing 29-35 at the half, Al Sadd got off to a strong start in the third and snatched the lead at 40-38. However, Fadi came off the bench and scored 8 successive points to push the armymen back into the driver's seat at 46-41. From a 48-43 cushion at the end of the third, the red shirts took advantage of Michael Southall and company s miscues to pad the lead at 53-46. Al Sadd tightened up on defense and were able to inch closer at 54-53 behind Southall's three-point play with 2:37 left in the game. Fadi made it 56-53 off a foul in the ensuing play and with unproductive thrusts on both sides the count stood until the last 30 seconds when the Army spitfire pumped in another jumper and made it 58-53. Ali Turki sealed the win with a slam off a fastbreak pass as the final buzzer sounded. (QNA)