Superleague Round 17 (Regular Season): Dijlah beat Al Shurtah in a derby game

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Baghdad: Dijlah (#2) and Al Shurtah (#3). Dijlah (12-3) won against visiting Al Shurtah (9-6) 86-75. Dijlah looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Shane Gibson (188-1990, college: Sacred Heart) who scored 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Forward Gerard Tarin (206-1996, college: Nova SE) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. Dijlah's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. James Justice (178-1989, college: UT Southern) produced 22 points and 9 assists for the guests. Dijlah maintains second place with 12-3 record behind leader Al-Difaa. Al Shurtah at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost.
Very important is a home loss of third ranked Al Shurtah (9-6) against seventh ranked Al Hilla (7-10) on Thursday night. Host Al Shurtah was defeated by Al Hilla in a tough game in Baghdad 84-88. American forward Daytone Jennings (206-1997, college: CSUSB, agency: SLN) orchestrated the victory by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds. John Crosby contributed with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for the winners. International guard Hassan Abdullah (190-1992) answered with 28 points for Al Shurtah. Al Hilla moved-up to sixth place. Al Shurtah at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost.
An interesting game was played in Baghdad where Ghaz Al-Shamal (#8) won against host Al-Hashd (#4) 95-91 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Al-Hashd. Kaleb Hunter stepped up and scored 36 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Brian Halums responded with 39 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds (was perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line !!!). Al-Hashd's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Ghaz Al-Shamal maintains eighth place with 5-5 record. Loser Al-Hashd keeps the fourth position with seven games lost.

Other games of round 17 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Tijarah was defeated by Dijlah in Baghdad 88-77. Zakho smashed Al Karkh at home 101-72. Al-Difaa won against Al Kahraba on the opponent's court 83-77. Al Kahraba was outscored by Al Hilla in a home game 74-101. Al Karkh recorded a loss to Tijarah on the road 75-69. Al-Difaa defeated Ghaz Al-Shamal on its own court 98-90.
The best stats of 17th round was 25 points and 14 rebounds by Ihab Al-Zuhairi of Al-Difaa.



Al-Hashd - Ghaz Al-Shamal 91-95

An interesting game was played in Baghdad where Ghaz Al-Shamal (#8) won against host Al-Hashd (#4) 95-91 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Al-Hashd. American guard Kaleb Hunter (193-1998, college: UNCG) stepped up and scored 36 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and his fellow American import swingman Ricardo Artis II (198-1993, college: Wiley) chipped in 18 points and 12 rebounds. Artis II is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. American-Palestinian guard Brian Halums (196-1997, college: UAFS) responded with 39 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds (was perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line !!!) and American point guard Kerwin Roach II (192-1996, college: Texas, agency: MSG) scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Al-Hashd's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Ghaz Al-Shamal maintains eighth place with 5-5 record. Loser Al-Hashd keeps the fourth position with seven games lost.
Top scorers:
Ghaz Al-Shamal: K.Hunter 36+8reb+4ast, R.Artis II 18+12reb+1ast, M.Abdulqader 11+6reb+4ast, M.Al-Sumedaei 9+5reb, A.Albasrawi 6+1reb+3ast, M.Al-Salihi 2+3reb+1ast
Al-Hashd: B.Halums 39+9reb+1ast, K.Roach II 18+5reb+8ast, D.Agnew 13+4reb, M.Al-Rubaye 7+3reb+1ast, A.Saeed 5+6reb, M.Ktaiman 4

Dijlah - Tijarah 88-77

There was no surprise in Baghdad where 10th ranked Tijarah (2-12) was defeated by second ranked Dijlah (12-3) 88-77 on Wednesday. Dijlah dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Tijarah's 22 and made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Abdullah Alibrahimi stepped up and scored 21 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and American forward Gerard Tarin (206-1996, college: Nova SE) chipped in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Tarin is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. Four Dijlah players scored in double figures. Dijlah's coach used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. American forward Julio Guity (204-1995, college: Montevallo) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 14 rebounds and AlaA Al-Saedi produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. Dijlah maintains second place with 12-3 record behind leader Al-Difaa. Tijarah lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with 12 games lost.
Top scorers:
Dijlah: A.Alibrahimi 21+6reb+3ast, S.Gibson 16+8reb+1ast, G.Tarin 15+7reb+5ast, K.Hamzah 11+6reb+6ast, M.Abbas 8+4reb+1ast, J.Al-saadi 6+4reb
Tijarah: J.Guity 22+14reb+2ast, A.Al-Saedi 16+13reb+2ast, S.Al-Saedi 12+3reb, A.Mul 7+2reb, A.Al-Abboodi 2+2reb+3ast, M.Alganahi 0+4reb

Zakho - Al Karkh 101-72

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when sixth ranked Zakho (6-6) smashed at home 5th ranked Al Karkh (8-8) 101-72 on Wednesday. Zakho looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Al Karkh's players. American forward Isaac Banks (201-1994, college: ETSU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and international guard Murad Zewki (191-2000) chipped in 22 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Zakho's coach felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. American point guard Shakir Smith (185-1992, college: ASU) responded with 32 points and 4 assists and Abbas Al-Draisawi (188-1999) scored 13 points and 7 rebounds. Despite that victory Zakho went down to seventh position due to points difference. Loser Al Karkh keeps the fifth place with eight games lost.
Top scorers:
Zakho: I.Banks 27+11reb+5ast, M.Zewki 22+15reb+5ast, M.Burwell 21+3reb+5ast, M.Hussein 8+1reb, M.Murad 8+5reb+7ast, Z.Alyousif 6+4reb+2ast
Al Karkh: S.Smith 32+2reb+4ast, A.Al-Draisawi 13+7reb+3ast, F.Mahdi 12+7reb, A.Hameed 6+10reb+1ast, H.Almurshedi 4+6reb, R.Al-Ammari 3+1ast

Al Shurtah - Al Hilla 84-88

Very important is a home loss of third ranked Al Shurtah (9-6) against seventh ranked Al Hilla (7-10) on Thursday night. Host Al Shurtah was defeated by Al Hilla in a tough game in Baghdad 84-88. American forward Daytone Jennings (206-1997, college: CSUSB, agency: SLN) orchestrated the victory by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds. His fellow American import guard John Crosby (190-1996, college: Delaware St.) contributed with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for the winners. International guard Hassan Abdullah (190-1992) answered with 28 points and the former international center Mohammed Al-Khafaji (206-1991) added 13 points and 12 rebounds in the effort for Al Shurtah. Four Al Shurtah players scored in double figures. Al Hilla moved-up to sixth place. Al Shurtah at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost.
Top scorers:
Al Hilla: D.Jennings 41+8reb+2ast, J.Crosby 16+8reb+5ast, A.Abs 10+5reb, M.Ismael 6+4reb+2ast, A.Al-Musawi 5+2reb+2ast, E.Kibi 4+3reb+2ast
Al Shurtah: H.Abdullah 28+2reb+3ast, T.Crump 15+5reb+5ast, J.Justice 15+4reb, M.Al-Khafaji 13+12reb+2ast, A.Wiggins 9+10reb, N.Altaleb 4+1reb+1ast

Al Kahraba - Al-Difaa 77-83

Very expected game in Baghdad where 9th ranked Al Kahraba (3-9) was defeated by first ranked Al-Difaa (13-2) 83-77 on Thursday. Al-Difaa looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American point guard Darius Johnson-Odom (187-1989, college: Marquette) stepped up and scored 29 points and 5 assists for the winners and international power forward Ihab Al-Zuhairi (210-1998) chipped in 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Al-Difaa's coach Nidal Ghanim allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American swingman Tavarius Shine (198-1994, college: OK State) responded with 25 points and 4 assists and the other American import center Brian Bridgeforth (208-1994, college: WAU, agency: Gulf Coast Hoops) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 14 rebounds. Al-Difaa have a solid series of three victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with 13-2 record. Al Kahraba lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with nine games lost.
Top scorers:
Al-Difaa: D.Johnson-Odom 29+5ast, I.Al-Zuhairi 14+11reb+4ast, D.Summers 11+6reb+4ast, A.Ismael 8+6reb+4ast, T.Hammoodi 7+2reb+1ast, J.Al-Juboori 5+1reb+2ast
Al Kahraba: T.Shine 25+4reb+4ast, B.Bridgeforth 14+14reb+3ast, A.Kareem 11+3reb+3ast, S.Al-Saedi 10+1reb, H.Aldiwani 8+10reb+1ast, M.Kareem 6+1reb

Al Kahraba - Al Hilla 74-101

Rather predictable result in Baghdad where seventh ranked Al Hilla (7-10) outscored 9th ranked Al Kahraba (3-9) 101-74 on Monday. Al Hilla dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Al Kahraba's 32. Al Hilla looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The game was also dominated by American players. Guard John Crosby (190-1996, college: Delaware St.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners and forward Daytone Jennings (206-1997, college: CSUSB, agency: SLN) chipped in 22 points and 11 rebounds. Five Al Hilla players scored in double figures. Al Hilla's coach felt very confident that he used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Swingman Tavarius Shine (198-1994, college: OK State) responded with 29 points and center Brian Bridgeforth (208-1994, college: WAU, agency: Gulf Coast Hoops) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 15 rebounds. Al Hilla moved-up to sixth place. Al Kahraba lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with nine games lost.
Top scorers:
Al Hilla: J.Crosby 26+10reb+9ast, D.Jennings 22+11reb+2ast, A.Al-Musawi 21+2reb+2ast, E.Kibi 11+9reb, A.Abs 10+2reb, A.Al-hasnawi 5+1ast
Al Kahraba: T.Shine 29+3reb+1ast, H.Aldiwani 16+9reb+4ast, B.Bridgeforth 12+15reb+2ast, A.Kareem 6+3reb+3ast, A.Kareem 6+4ast, S.Al-Saedi 5+3reb+3ast

Dijlah - Al Shurtah 86-75

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Baghdad: Dijlah (#2) and Al Shurtah (#3). Dijlah (12-3) won against visiting Al Shurtah (9-6) 86-75. Dijlah looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Shane Gibson (188-1990, college: Sacred Heart) who scored 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Forward Gerard Tarin (206-1996, college: Nova SE) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. Tarin is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Dijlah's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. James Justice (178-1989, college: UT Southern) produced 22 points and 9 assists and forward Antwaine Wiggins (203-1988, college: Charleston) added 19 points and 13 rebounds respectively for the guests. Dijlah maintains second place with 12-3 record behind leader Al-Difaa. Al Shurtah at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost.
Top scorers:
Dijlah: S.Gibson 30+5reb+5ast, G.Tarin 17+6reb+2ast, M.Abbas 11+3reb+6ast, K.Hamzah 8+8reb+4ast, A.Alibrahimi 7+8reb+1ast, D.Liggins 6+2reb+3ast
Al Shurtah: J.Justice 22+3reb+9ast, A.Wiggins 19+13reb+1ast, H.Abdullah 15+2reb+1ast, M.Al-Khafaji 9+6reb+2ast, R.Abdulla 7+6reb+1ast, N.Altaleb 2

Tijarah - Al Karkh 75-69

There was an upset when higher ranked Al Karkh (8-8) was defeated on the road by tenth ranked Tijarah (2-12) 75-69 on Sunday. Tijarah made 23-of-29 free shots (79.3 percent) during the game. AlaA Al-Saedi stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 12 rebounds for the winners and American forward Julio Guity (204-1995, college: Montevallo) chipped in 8 points and 15 rebounds. Four Tijarah players scored in double figures. American point guard Shakir Smith (185-1992, college: ASU) responded with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists and the former international center Ali Hameed (208-1984) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Tijarah maintains tenth place with 2-12 record. Loser Al Karkh keeps the fifth position with eight games lost.
Top scorers:
Tijarah: A.Al-Saedi 17+12reb+3ast, R.Baker 15+4reb+3ast, A.Al-Abboodi 11+3reb+3ast, A.Mul 10+4reb, S.Al-Saedi 10+2reb+2ast, J.Guity 8+15reb+2ast
Al Karkh: S.Smith 22+6reb+8ast, A.Hameed 16+10reb, H.Almurshedi 10+2reb+2ast, R.Al-Ammari 7, A.Al-Draisawi 7+6reb+1ast, K.Sultan 4+9reb

Al-Difaa - Ghaz Al-Shamal 98-90

Everything went according to plan when first ranked Al-Difaa (13-2) won against at home 8th ranked Ghaz Al-Shamal (5-5) 98-90 on Sunday. Al-Difaa looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. International power forward Ihab Al-Zuhairi (210-1998) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 14 rebounds for the winners and American point guard Darius Johnson-Odom (187-1989, college: Marquette) chipped in 31 points. Al-Difaa's coach Nidal Ghanim allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American swingman Ricardo Artis II (198-1993, college: Wiley) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds and the former international guard Mohammed Abdulqader (183-1995) scored 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Al-Difaa have a solid series of three victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with 13-2 record. Loser Ghaz Al-Shamal keeps the eighth position with five games lost.
Top scorers:
Al-Difaa: D.Johnson-Odom 31+3reb+2ast, I.Al-Zuhairi 25+14reb+2ast, A.Ismael 13+9reb+5ast, T.Hammoodi 10+6reb+7ast, U.McLean 9+4reb+4ast, D.Summers 8+3reb+2ast
Ghaz Al-Shamal: R.Artis II 22+11reb+3ast, K.Hunter 22+3reb+2ast, M.Abdulqader 19+6reb+7ast, M.Nasradin 17+7reb+2ast, A.Albasrawi 5+2reb, M.Akbar 3