Al Arabi dethrones Al Gharafa to lift Qatar Cup basketball title
Al Arabi produced undoubtedly a performance for the ages to lift the season-opening Qatar Cup basketball title at the expense of defending champions Al Gharafa at the Qatar Basketball Federation Hall in Al Gharafa yesterday.
Al Arabi, coached by Tunisian Hatem Mamlouk, prevailed against all odds and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after securing a 77-72 comeback victory despite trailing their opponents by as much as 11 points going into the half-time.
It was the first domestic title for the Dream Team since the 2019-20 Amir Cup.
"This is one of the best games of our lives, and I'm very happy with the victory. It is a testimony to the resilience and the never-say-never spirit of the team. We played against a very worthy opponent, and the match was quite tough. This night will go down in my memory as one of my best. What a way to start the season. I hope we will continue with the momentum and hopefully win the league as well," said Al Arabi's forward, Nicholas West, after the match.
En route to the final, Al Gharafa defeated Al Wakrah 78-73 while Al Arabi trounced Al Ahli 81-77 in the semi-finals last Tuesday.
West, who powered in a game-high 23 points and 17 rebounds with six assists, was the cynosure of all eyes on the night as he combined effectively well with his American compatriot Sammy Monroe Junior, who also accounted for 18 of his team's points, to dethrone the Cheetahs.
The game started cautiously for the two teams as they were evenly matched in the opening minutes with the scoreboard at 6-6 after about five minutes of play.
Gharafa raised ahead thanks to Qatar international Nedim Muslic, American Tyler James Lee Harris and Mohammed Ouiri, who were in superb form, to take a 21-16 lead as the first quarter ended.
Al Arabi came back determined and more focussed in the second quarter as they reduced the deficit to three points (30-33). Gharafa's Tyler Harris, after that, spectacularly extended his team's lead to 11 points after scoring six points in a row to take the scores to 41-30 going into half-time.
The third quarter witnessed a resurgent Al Arabi side who, despite some shaky defense, were able to close the gap on their coach Koussay Hatem-tutored opponents to finish the quarter 53-55.
In a tense fourth quarter, the relentless Arabi players drew level at 66-66. With 49 seconds left, Arabi were ahead 73-72. But when they added four more points, all through free throws, celebrations began in the stands.
"We are happy with the quality of today's game, and the two teams exhibited a high-level performance which reflected the level of the growth of basketball in Qatar. Congratulations to Al Arabi on their victory, and I wish Al Gharafa better luck next time. We would like to thank everyone - fans, players and officials - for their support, and we hope to see more of this in all our competitions,"
Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) President Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Muftah said.
QBF Secretary-General, Ali Al Malki, who, alongside the president and other senior officials, gave away the prizes, said that the game was a befitting season-opening event, and it is an indication of what to expect throughout the season.
"This is one of the best finals we've had. It was a nail-biting experience throughout, and it gives a good impression of the growth of the sport in Qatar. We are very happy with the way the competition has ended, and we hope to witness a more exciting league starting from next week," he said.
The QBF League will commence on November 13 with the participation of nine teams.
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