Superleague Round 15: Petrochimi defeat Chemidor in the closest game of the week

Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The most exciting game of round 15 in the Superleague took place in Bandar Imam. This derby game ended with only two-point defeat on the road of second-best Chemidor (12-4) to third ranked Petrochimi (12-3) 75-73 in the game for the second place. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Chemidor. It was a key game for the second position in the league. They outrebounded Chemidor 48-37 including 34 on the defensive glass. 26 personal fouls committed by Chemidor helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a great evening for international Mohammad Hassanzadeh (203-90) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 12 rebounds. The former international M-Reza Akbari (196-86) helped adding 16 points and 13 rebounds. The best for the losing side was international Mohammad Jamshidi (199-91) with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Petrochimi moved-up to second place. Chemidor at the other side dropped to the third position with four games lost. Petrochimi are looking forward to face Exxon SC (#7) in Teheran in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Chemidor will play at home against the league's leader Gorgan (#1) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Superleague top team - Gorgan (13-2) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed eighth ranked Zob Ahan (7-8) 82-44. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Zob Ahan. It was a quality performance for Filipino-British center Ryan Richards (211-91) who led the winners and scored 22 points and 6 rebounds. Amir Sedighi accounted for 13 points and 11 rebounds. Serbian center Nemanja Besovic (221-92, agency: Interperformances) came up with 12 points and 8 rebounds for Zob Ahan in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Gorgan have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record. Zob Ahan at the other side keeps the eighth position with eight games lost. Gorgan will play against Chemidor (#3) in Tehran in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Zob Ahan will play at home against Shahrdari BA (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
A very close game took place in Azarshahr between Exxon SC and Toufarghan. Eighth ranked Exxon SC (8-8) got a very close victory on the road over 9th ranked Toufarghan (6-10). Exxon SC managed to escape with a 3-point win 73-70 on Monday evening. The best player for the winners was Keith Omoerah who scored 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Exxon SC's coach Alborz Goli Abkenari used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was Kelvin Amayo who recorded 35 points (!!!), 5 assists and 4 steals. Exxon SC moved-up to seventh place. Toufarghan at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the ninth position with ten games lost. They share it with Shahrdari BA. Exxon SC will meet at home league's second-placed Petrochimi in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Toufarghan will play against Shahrdari Q. (#14) in Qazvin and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 15: Raad was destroyed by Shahrdari BA on the opponent's court 89-69. Kerman managed to outperform Shahrdari Q. in a home game 77-71. Mahram managed to beat Naft Abadan on the road 93-86. Army was defeated by Mashad on its own court 44-53.

Shahrdari BA - Raad 89-69

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 11th ranked Raad's (4-12) road loss to tenth ranked Shahrdari BA (6-10) 69-89 on Monday. Shahrdari BA had a 39-28 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was American-Guyanese forward Kedar Edwards (196-93, college: UT Martin, agency: Interperformances) who scored 31 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals. The former international Yonas Lalehzadeh (197-89, college: UC Irvine) chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Ebrahim Beigi (211-94) who recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and 17 rebounds and point guard Shayan Pourkavehdehkordi (184-98) added 15 points and 4 assists respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shahrdari BA moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Toufarghan. Loser Raad dropped to the twelfth position with 12 games lost. Shahrdari BA will meet higher ranked Zob Ahan (#8) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Raad'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:
Raad: E.Beigi 24+17reb+2ast, S.Pourkavehdehkordi 15+3reb+4ast, D.Farshad 8+6reb, M.Saleh 8+5reb, A.Nayeb 6+3reb+1ast, M.Kamalvand 4+2reb
Shahrdari BA: K.Edwards 31+8reb+6ast, Y.Lalehzadeh 18+5reb+3ast, H.Eshagh 15+2reb, M.Vaez 7, M.Yazdanpanah 6+8reb+1ast, T.Morteza 4+1reb

Kerman - Shahrdari Q. 77-71

Rather predictable result when twelfth ranked Kerman (4-10) defeated at home bottom-ranked Shahrdari Q. (1-14) 77-71 on Monday. The best player for the winners was Majid Rahimian who scored 28 points. Forward Mostafa Rezaei (197-98) chipped in a double-double by scoring 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Kerman players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was Vahid Eslami (197) who recorded 21 points and Amir Taherkhani added 10 points and 9 rebounds respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kerman moved-up to eleventh place. Shahrdari Q. lost ninth consecutive game. Shahrdari Q. at the other side, also newcomer in the league, stay at the bottom position with 14 games lost. Kerman will meet higher ranked Mahram (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Shahrdari Q. will play against Toufarghan (#9) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Shahrdari Q.: V.Eslami 21+2reb+1ast, A.Shahravesh 12+1reb+2ast, A.Taherkhani 10+9reb, H.Mohammad 6+1reb+1ast, M.Moradian 6+2reb+3ast, C.Gabriel 6+9reb
Kerman: R.Majid 28+4reb+3ast, M.Payam 12+1reb+1ast, C.Bonga 12+4reb+3ast, M.Rezaei 10+10reb+4ast, A.Reza 5+5reb+1ast, M.Tavana 3

Naft Abadan - Mahram 86-93

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when 4th placed Naft Abadan (11-4) was defeated at home by fifth ranked Mahram (11-4) 93-86 on Monday. Mahram dominated down low during the game scoring 52 of its points in the paint compared to Naft Abadan's 30. Mahram forced 22 Naft Abadan turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Mohammad Nikkhah (199-83) who scored 31 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. The former international Arman Zangeneh (202-93) chipped in 20 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international Reza Ranjbar who recorded a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds and the former international swingman Saeid Davarpanah (190-87, agency: Interperformances) added 13 points, 8 assists and 4 steals respectively. Five Naft Abadan players scored in double figures. Mahram moved-up to fourth place, which they share with defeated Naft Abadan. Mahram will meet at home Kerman (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Naft Abadan will play against Mashad (#6) in Mashhad and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Naft Abadan: M.Shahrian 16+4reb+4ast, M.Moradinasab 15+2reb+2ast, B.Nezafat 14+1reb, R.Ranjbar 13+11reb+2ast, S.Davarpanah 13+4reb+8ast, M.Khaleghifard 8+6reb+1ast
Mahram: M.Nikkhah 31+7reb+8ast, M.Atashi 22+3reb, A.Zangeneh 20+4reb+5ast, A.Khandanpour 8+9reb+1ast, V.Mohammadsina 7+2reb+3ast, F.Aslani 3+1reb+1ast

Army - Mashad 44-53

Everything went according to plan in Tehran where sixth ranked Mashad (10-5) beat 13th ranked Army (2-13) 53-44 on Monday. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Emad Salmani (188-90) who scored 18 points. Power forward Ali-Nasiri Rineh (202-97) chipped in 5 points and 8 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was center Sattar Sheikh (200-0) who recorded 12 points and 8 rebounds and guard Hossein Zakeri (185-99) added 9 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Mashad have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain sixth place with 10-5 record. Army lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 13 games lost. Mashad will meet at home higher ranked Naft Abadan (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Army's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Tehran to the arena Raad.
Top scorers:
Army: S.Sattar 12+8reb+2ast, G.Shahriar 10+3reb, H.Zakeri 9+5reb+1ast, S.Mortazavi 5+8reb, A.Khashayar 4+4reb, G.Sajjad 2+10reb+2ast
Mashad: E.Salmani 18+3reb+2ast, S.M 8+5reb+1ast, A.Mortazavi 7+8reb, A.A 5+5reb+3ast, A.Nasiri Rineh 5+8reb+2ast, A.Hossein Tatari 3+6reb

Petrochimi - Chemidor 75-73

The most exciting game of round 15 in the Superleague took place in Bandar Imam. This derby game ended with only two-point defeat on the road of second-best Chemidor (12-4) to third ranked Petrochimi (12-3) 75-73 in the game for the second place. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Chemidor. It was a key game for the second position in the league. They outrebounded Chemidor 48-37 including 34 on the defensive glass. 26 personal fouls committed by Chemidor helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a great evening for international Mohammad Hassanzadeh (203-90) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 12 rebounds. The former international M-Reza Akbari (196-86) helped adding 16 points and 13 rebounds. The best for the losing side was international Mohammad Jamshidi (199-91) with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and international point guard Dro Derghokasian (188-96) scored 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Petrochimi and five Chemidor players scored in double figures. Petrochimi moved-up to second place. Chemidor at the other side dropped to the third position with four games lost. Petrochimi are looking forward to face Exxon SC (#7) in Teheran in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Chemidor will play at home against the league's leader Gorgan (#1) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Chemidor: M.Jamshidi 26+7reb+4ast, D.Derghokasian 12+7reb+4ast, M.Rostampour 11+7reb+1ast, M.Soleimani 10+6reb+1ast, A.Kardoust 10+4reb, A.Davoudichegani 4+3reb+3ast
Petrochimi: M.Hassanzadeh 17+12reb+3ast, H.Hosseinzadeh 16+2reb+6ast, M.Reza Akbari 16+13reb+2ast, R.Mozafari 12+1reb+2ast, S.Mashayekhi 4+5reb+2ast, M.Yousofvand 4+5reb+2ast

Toufarghan - Exxon SC 70-73

A very close game took place in Azarshahr between Exxon SC and Toufarghan. Eighth ranked Exxon SC (8-8) got a very close victory on the road over 9th ranked Toufarghan (6-10). Exxon SC managed to escape with a 3-point win 73-70 on Monday evening. Exxon SC outrebounded Toufarghan 43-30 including a 36-22 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was Canadian-Nigerian guard Keith Omoerah (194-92, college: Manitoba) who scored 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. The former international center Mohsen Moradkhani (213-90) chipped in a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds. Exxon SC's coach Alborz Goli Abkenari used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was Canadian guard Kelvin Amayo (193-92, college: Loyola Mary) who recorded 35 points (!!!), 5 assists and 4 steals and Spanish center Gracin Bakumanya (211-97) added 15 points and 7 rebounds respectively. Exxon SC moved-up to seventh place. Toufarghan at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the ninth position with ten games lost. They share it with Shahrdari BA. Exxon SC will meet at home league's second-placed Petrochimi in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Toufarghan will play against Shahrdari Q. (#14) in Qazvin and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Toufarghan: K.Amayo 35+3reb+5ast, G.Bakumanya 15+7reb, M.Mohammadi 8+2reb, K.Nader 6+7reb, A.Amin 4+3reb, A.Doraghi 2+4reb+1ast
Exxon SC: M.Moradkhani 19+10reb, K.Omoerah 17+9reb+4ast, T.Mohamadreza 14+2reb+3ast, A.Rezaeifar 7+9reb+2ast, E.Samadi 7+4reb+4ast, K.Ali 7+3reb

Gorgan - Zob Ahan 82-44

Superleague top team - Gorgan (13-2) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed eighth ranked Zob Ahan (7-8) 82-44. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Zob Ahan. Gorgan forced 19 Zob Ahan turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists comparing to just 6 passes made by Zob Ahan's players. It was a quality performance for Filipino-British center Ryan Richards (211-91) who led the winners and scored 22 points and 6 rebounds. The former international forward Amir Sedighi (203-93) accounted for 13 points and 11 rebounds for the winning side. Four Gorgan players scored in double figures. Serbian center Nemanja Besovic (221-92, agency: Interperformances) came up with 12 points and 8 rebounds and French guard Jonathan Dogbo (193, college: Gannon, agency: Interperformances) added 10 points respectively for Zob Ahan in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Gorgan have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record. Zob Ahan at the other side keeps the eighth position with eight games lost. Gorgan will play against Chemidor (#3) in Tehran in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Zob Ahan will play at home against Shahrdari BA (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Zob Ahan: N.Besovic 12+8reb, J.Dogbo 10+3reb+3ast, S.Torabikhah 5+2reb+1ast, M.Rajaei 5+2reb, A.Mostafa 4+4reb, P.Khoshdooni 2+4reb
Gorgan: R.Richards 22+6reb+1ast, A.Sedighi 13+11reb+3ast, A.Azari 10+2reb+2ast, P.Petty 10+8reb+8ast, N.Rezaeifar 8+1reb+1ast, M.Sheikhi 8+3reb+3ast



Tags : MOHAMMAD HASSANZADEH, PETROCHIMI BANDAR IMAM HARBOUR, IRANIAN BASKETBALL