Superleague Round 9: Petrochimi keeps a leadership position

The fans could enjoy quite many interesting games in the last round. The round ended with derby games, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin. Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Petrochimi as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Petrochimi smashed 10th ranked Toufarghan in Bandar Imam 86-61. Petrochimi dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Toufarghan's 34. Petrochimi had a 29-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was a good game for the former international point guard Sajjad Mashayekhi (180-94) who led his team to a victory with 19 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. The former international center Mohammad Yousofvand (207-96) contributed with 20 points and 11 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for the winners. Petrochimi's coach Farzad Kouhian felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Canadian guard Kelvin Amayo (193-92, college: Loyola Mary) answered with 19 points and 7 rebounds for Toufarghan. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Newly promoted Toufarghan keeps the tenth place with seven games lost. Toufarghan will play next round against strong Gorgan trying to get back on the winning streak. Petrochimi will try to continue on its current victory against third ranked Naft Abadan at home.
Undefeated Naft Abadan (8-1) recorded its first loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by eighth ranked Zob Ahan (4-5) 66-57. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Naft Abadan. American guard Josh Stamps (196, college: LSUS) stepped up and scored 14 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and Sajjad Pazrofteh chipped in 11 points and 11 rebounds. The best for the losing side was the former international Reza Ranjbar with 9 points and 12 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Zob Ahan moved-up to seventh place. Defending champion Naft Abadan dropped to the second position with one game lost. They share it with Gorgan. Zob Ahan will play against higher ranked Chemidor (#5) in Tehran in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Naft Abadan will play on the road against the league's leader Petrochimi where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
A very close game took place in Mashhad between Mashad and Exxon SC. Sixth ranked Mashad (6-3) got a very close home victory over 7th ranked Exxon SC (4-6). Mashad managed to escape with a 3-point win 70-67 on Thursday evening. Alireza Mortazavi nailed 18 points for the winning side. Zoran Vrkic came up with 18 points and 6 rebounds for Exxon SC in the defeat. Mashad maintains sixth place with 6-3 record. Newly promoted Exxon SC dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. They share it with Shahrdari BA. Mashad will meet bottom-ranked Shahrdari Q. (#14) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Exxon SC will play against Raad (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Mahram (7-2) against ninth ranked Shahrdari BA (4-6) on Thursday night. Visiting Mahram was defeated by Shahrdari BA in a tough game in Abbass 75-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Mahram. The best player for the winners was Eshagh Hatamifar who scored 27 points (perfect behind the arc making all five shots). Shahrdari BA have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Exxon SC. Mahram at the other side, also newcomer in the league, dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. Shahrdari BA's next round opponent will be Kerman (#13) on the road which should be theoretically an easy game. Mahram's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Tehran Army.
Bottom-ranked Army managed to get a second victory, breaking the series of six consecutive losses on Thursday night. This time they won against thirteenth-ranked Shahrdari Q. in Tehran 81-72. It was a good game for Ashkan Jafari who led his team to a victory with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Army (2-8) moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Raad. Shahrdari Q. lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the bottom position with eight games lost. Army's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Tehran to the arena Mahram.

In the last two games of round 9 Kerman was smashed by Gorgan on the road 84-47. Raad lost to Chemidor on its own court 68-83.

Petrochimi - Toufarghan 86-61

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Petrochimi as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Petrochimi smashed 10th ranked Toufarghan in Bandar Imam 86-61. Petrochimi dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Toufarghan's 34. Petrochimi had a 29-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was a good game for the former international point guard Sajjad Mashayekhi (180-94) who led his team to a victory with 19 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. The former international center Mohammad Yousofvand (207-96) contributed with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 11 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for the winners. Four Petrochimi players scored in double figures. Petrochimi's coach Farzad Kouhian felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Canadian guard Kelvin Amayo (193-92, college: Loyola Mary) answered with 19 points and 7 rebounds and guard Saeed Salehiyaneh (185-93) added 14 points, 6 assists and 5 steals in the effort for Toufarghan. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Newly promoted Toufarghan keeps the tenth place with seven games lost. Toufarghan will play next round against strong Gorgan trying to get back on the winning streak. Petrochimi will try to continue on its current victory against third ranked Naft Abadan at home.
Top scorers:
Toufarghan: K.Amayo 19+7reb+1ast, S.Salehiyaneh 14+1reb+6ast, G.Bakumanya 12+7reb, K.Nader 8+6reb+4ast, M.Mohammadi 6+2reb+1ast, V.Naderi 2+2reb
Petrochimi: M.Yousofvand 20+11reb, S.Mashayekhi 19+4reb+8ast, R.Mozafari 11+2reb+2ast, M.Hassanzadeh 11+9reb+1ast, A.Khalilnejad 7+1reb, H.Hosseinzadeh 6+3reb+9ast

Gorgan - Kerman 84-47

No shocking result in a game when third ranked Gorgan (8-1) crushed at home 13th ranked Kerman (1-7) 84-47 on Thursday. Gorgan moved-up to second place, which they share with Naft Abadan. Kerman lost seventh consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the thirteenth position with seven games lost. Gorgan will face Toufarghan (#10) in Azarshahr in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kerman will play at home against Shahrdari BA and hope to win that game.

Shahrdari BA - Mahram 83-75

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Mahram (7-2) against ninth ranked Shahrdari BA (4-6) on Thursday night. Visiting Mahram was defeated by Shahrdari BA in a tough game in Abbass 75-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Mahram. The best player for the winners was Eshagh Hatamifar who scored 27 points (perfect behind the arc making all five shots). American-Guyanese forward Kedar Edwards (196-93, college: UT Martin) chipped in 21 points. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international forward Mohammad Nikkhah (199-83) who recorded 31 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and the former international Arsalan Kazemi (200-90, college: Oregon) added 7 points and 18 rebounds respectively. Shahrdari BA have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Exxon SC. Mahram at the other side, also newcomer in the league, dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. Shahrdari BA's next round opponent will be Kerman (#13) on the road which should be theoretically an easy game. Mahram's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Tehran Army.
Top scorers:
Mahram: M.Nikkhah 31+6reb+6ast, J.Matin 18+5reb, F.Aslani 11+3reb+2ast, A.Kazemi 7+18reb+3ast, A.Khandanpour 5+3reb, M.Atashi 3+1reb+3ast
Shahrdari BA: H.Eshagh 27+2reb+1ast, K.Edwards 21+4reb+2ast, A.Jamshidi 11+8reb+6ast, Y.Lalehzadeh 7, W.Kouassi 6+18reb, M.Yazdanpanah 5+10reb+2ast

Naft Abadan - Zob Ahan 57-66

Undefeated Naft Abadan (8-1) recorded its first loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by eighth ranked Zob Ahan (4-5) 66-57. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Naft Abadan. Naft Abadan was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. American guard Josh Stamps (196, college: LSUS) stepped up and scored 14 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and international forward Sajjad Pazrofteh (188-96) chipped in 11 points and 11 rebounds. Four Zob Ahan players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was the former international Reza Ranjbar with 9 points and 12 rebounds and the former international swingman Saeid Davarpanah (190-87, agency: Interperformances) scored 14 points. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Zob Ahan moved-up to seventh place. Defending champion Naft Abadan dropped to the second position with one game lost. They share it with Gorgan. Zob Ahan will play against higher ranked Chemidor (#5) in Tehran in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Naft Abadan will play on the road against the league's leader Petrochimi where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Naft Abadan: S.Davarpanah 14+4reb+2ast, R.Ranjbar 9+12reb+1ast, V.Hajian 7+3reb+1ast, M.Falahat 6+5reb+2ast, M.Moradinasab 5+5reb+2ast, N.Ameripour 4+1reb+1ast
Zob Ahan: J.Stamps 14+9reb+2ast, J.Hendricks 11+4reb+7ast, S.Pazrofteh 11+11reb+1ast, F.Sabouri 10+1reb+1ast, S.Rasoul 7+6reb, M.Zareei 7+4reb

Army - Shahrdari Q. 81-72

Bottom-ranked Army managed to get a second victory, breaking the series of six consecutive losses on Thursday night. This time they won against thirteenth-ranked Shahrdari Q. in Tehran 81-72. They outrebounded Shahrdari Q. 41-25 including a 30-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Shahrdari Q. was plagued by 28 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for Ashkan Jafari who led his team to a victory with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Hossein Zakeri (185-99) contributed with 10 points and 5 assists for the winners. Five Army players scored in double figures. Vahid Eslami (197) answered with 20 points and Amir Taherkhani added 9 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Shahrdari Q.Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Army (2-8) moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Raad. Shahrdari Q. lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the bottom position with eight games lost. Army's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Tehran to the arena Mahram.
Top scorers:
Shahrdari Q.: V.Eslami 20+3reb+1ast, S.Taherpour 9+4reb, N.Farahani 9+3reb, A.Taherkhani 9+5reb+3ast, M.Moradian 7+2reb+6ast, C.Gabriel 5+1reb
Army: A.Rostami 15+2reb, J.Ashkan 14+6reb+2ast, G.Shahriar 13+3reb+1ast, H.Zakeri 10+4reb+5ast, S.Sattar 10+7reb+1ast, A.Khashayar 9+1reb+2ast

Raad - Chemidor 68-83

Very expected game when 11th ranked Raad (2-8) lost to fifth ranked Chemidor (7-3) in Tehran 68-83 on Thursday. Chemidor made 22-of-29 free shots (75.9 percent) during the game. Raad was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for international Mohammad Jamshidi (199-91) who led his team to a victory with 19 points and 5 rebounds. The former international point guard Mahdi Kamrani (181-82) contributed with 17 points for the winners. Four Chemidor players scored in double figures. Point guard Shayan Pourkavehdehkordi (184-98) answered with 19 points and the former international center Ebrahim Beigi (211-94) added 11 points and 11 rebounds in the effort for Raad. Raad's coach Jamal Seyfi rotated twelve players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. Chemidor have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 7-3 record. Raad lost third consecutive game. They keep the eleventh position with eight games lost. Chemidor will face Zob Ahan (#7) in Esfahan in the next round. Raad will play on the road against Exxon SC (#9) in Teheran and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Raad: S.Pourkavehdehkordi 19+1reb+3ast, A.Nayeb 12+5reb+1ast, E.Beigi 11+11reb+1ast, M.Kamalvand 7+2reb, N.Fathi 6+1reb, H.Beigi 6+3reb
Chemidor: M.Jamshidi 19+5reb+2ast, A.Kardoust 18+3reb, M.Kamrani 17+4reb+2ast, D.Derghokasian 15+3reb+2ast, M.Soleimani 7+6reb+1ast, A.Davoudichegani 4+2reb+3ast

Mashad - Exxon SC 70-67

A very close game took place in Mashhad between Mashad and Exxon SC. Sixth ranked Mashad (6-3) got a very close home victory over 7th ranked Exxon SC (4-6). Mashad managed to escape with a 3-point win 70-67 on Thursday evening. Strangely Exxon SC outrebounded Mashad 45-33 including a 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Forward Alireza Mortazavi (194-95) nailed 18 points for the winning side and American point guard Corin Henry (181-88, college: Tarleton St., agency: Agency) accounted for 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Croatian forward Zoran Vrkic (203-87, agency: SDJ Sports) came up with 18 points and 6 rebounds and international swingman Ehsan Samadi (192-98) added 20 points respectively for Exxon SC in the defeat. Mashad maintains sixth place with 6-3 record. Newly promoted Exxon SC dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. They share it with Shahrdari BA. Mashad will meet bottom-ranked Shahrdari Q. (#14) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Exxon SC will play against Raad (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Exxon SC: E.Samadi 20+4reb, Z.Vrkic 18+6reb+3ast, K.Omoerah 9+7reb+3ast, A.Rezaeifar 8+8reb, M.Moradkhani 7+14reb+1ast, K.Ali 5+1reb+2ast
Mashad: E.Salmani 19+3reb, A.Mortazavi 18+4reb+2ast, A.A 8+2reb+1ast, C.Henry 8+8reb+7ast, A.Hossein Tatari 6+3reb, M.Esmaeili 6+8reb+7ast



Tags : SAJJAD MASHAYEKHI, PETROCHIMI BANDAR IMAM HARBOUR, IRANIAN BASKETBALL