QBL Round 15 (Regular Season): Al Gharafa is defeated by Al Ahli in a derby game

The teams have now bigger motivation at this stage of Regular Season. Every game can be crucial and decide about teams' position at the end of Regular Season. What a coincidence that all visitors won their games. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Doha: Al Ahli D. (#4) and Al Gharafa (#7). Al Gharafa was defeated at home 100-109 and even the advantage of their own court did not help. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Gharafa. Al Ahli made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for American guard Nigel Johnson (187-1995, college: Virginia, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. His fellow American import power forward Raekwon Rogers (203-1999, college: Wagner, agency: One Motive Sports) helped adding 27 points and 11 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American forward Josh Hall (206-2000) with a double-double by scoring 28 points and 12 rebounds. Al Ahli maintains fourth place with 9-5 record. Al Gharafa at the other side keeps the seventh position with ten games lost. Al Ahli's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Doha to the arena Al Sadd.
Another exciting game was again a derby between two teams from Doha: Al Rayyan (#1) and Al Shamal (#6). Al Shamal was defeated at home 83-92 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. It was an exceptional evening for Latvian Rolands Freimanis (209-1988) who led the winners and scored 31 points and 9 rebounds. Tyler Harris accounted for 20 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American Troy Baxter Jr (206-1996, college: Morgan St.) came up with 25 points and 4 assists for Al Shamal in the defeat. Al Rayyan (13-1) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place. Al Shamal lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with nine games lost. Al Rayyan's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Doha to the arena .
Another exciting game was again a derby match of two local teams from Doha: Al Sadd (#3) and Al Shamal (#6). Al Shamal was crushed at home by 17 points 88-105 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. The best player for the winners was Moustafa Fouda who had a double-double by scoring 31 points and 10 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Tyree Crump who recorded 30 points and 5 rebounds. The victory was the third consecutive win for Al Sadd. They maintain third place with 10-4 record having just three points less than leader Al Rayyan. Al Shamal lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the sixth position with nine games lost. Al Sadd's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Doha Al Ahli.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 15: Al Rayyan destroyed Al Wakrah on the opponent's court 103-71. Bottom-ranked Al Khor was outscored by Al Wakrah in a home game 78-102. Al Sadd managed to beat Qatar Club on the road 112-94.



Al Gharafa - Al Ahli D. 100-109

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Doha: Al Ahli D. (#4) and Al Gharafa (#7). Al Gharafa was defeated at home 100-109 and even the advantage of their own court did not help. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Gharafa. Al Ahli made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for American guard Nigel Johnson (187-1995, college: Virginia, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. His fellow American import power forward Raekwon Rogers (203-1999, college: Wagner, agency: One Motive Sports) helped adding 27 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. The best for the losing side was American forward Josh Hall (206-2000) with a double-double by scoring 28 points and 12 rebounds and the former international forward Nedim Muslic (196-1998) scored 20 points. Four Al Ahli and five Al Gharafa players scored in double figures. Al Ahli maintains fourth place with 9-5 record. Al Gharafa at the other side keeps the seventh position with ten games lost. Al Ahli's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Doha to the arena Al Sadd.
Top scorers:
Al Gharafa: J.Hall 28+12reb+1ast, M.Nedim 20+4reb+3ast, R.Williams 18+1ast, J.Zarzuela 15+1reb+3ast, A.Raslan 13+2ast, M.Mohd 6+5reb+2ast
Al Ahli D.: R.Raekwon 27+11reb+2ast, J.Nigel 27+5reb+10ast, M.Abbasher 24+8reb+2ast, A.Taylor 16+6reb, Y.Yagoub 6+5ast, E.Radi 3+1reb

Al Wakrah - Al Rayyan 71-103

Very expected game when 5th ranked Al Wakrah (7-7) was crushed at home by first ranked Al Rayyan (13-1) 103-71 on Saturday. Al Rayyan dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Al Wakrah's 28. They outrebounded Al Wakrah 55-37 including a 36-23 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Rayyan looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Al Wakrah's players. The best player for the winners was international forward Babacar Dieng (196-1997) who scored 23 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. International center Tyler Harris (208-1993, college: Auburn) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points and 13 rebounds. Harris attended previously one of camps at Eurobasket Summer League on his way to pro basketball. Four Al Rayyan players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Mubarak Jama (199-2004) who recorded 18 points and American-Mali guard Bakary Camara (198-1998, college: Bridgeport) added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Al Rayyan. They maintain first place with 13-1 record. Loser Al Wakrah keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Al Rayyan's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Doha to the arena .
Top scorers:
Al Wakrah: J.Mubarak 18+4reb, M.Christopher 10+2ast, B.Camara 8+6reb+5ast, H.Youssef 7+7reb+1ast, A.Mitchell 6+8reb+3ast, A.Mohammed 6+1ast
Al Rayyan: D.Babacar 23+5reb+6ast, H.Tyler 18+13reb+2ast, F.Rolands 15+4reb+2ast, A.Mousa 11+8reb+1ast, I.Seck 9+5reb+1ast, M.Abdelkawy 8+2reb+5ast

Al Khor - Al Wakrah 78-102

Rather predictable result when fifth ranked Al Wakrah (7-7) smashed on the road bottom-ranked Al Khor (1-12) 102-78 on Wednesday. Al Wakrah outrebounded Al Khor 44-33 including a 35-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Wakrah looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Al Khor's players. The best player for the winners was American guard Aaron Mitchell (188-1989, college: Longwood) who had a triple-double by scoring 10 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. The former international guard Momar Talla (187-1997) chipped in 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Al Wakrah players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American point guard Jesse Jones (183, college: Bridgeport) who recorded 30 points and 4 assists and Italian-Serbian Lazar Trunic (198-2000) added 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Al Wakrah maintains fifth place with 7-7 record. Al Khor lost their sixth game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with 12 games lost. Al Wakrah will meet at home Al Shamal (#6) in the next round. Al Khor will play against the league's second-placed Al Arabi in Doha and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Al Khor: J.Jones 30+4reb+4ast, L.Trunic 20+10reb+4ast, D.Djibrirou 10+7reb, N.Karim 6+1ast, G.Shawki 5+6reb+4ast, D.Abdoukhader 4+2reb
Al Wakrah: M.Talla 23+7reb+5ast, M.Jama 18+4reb+2ast, C.Bakary 18+7reb+9ast, N.Souleye 15+3reb, M.Aaron 10+16reb+11ast, M.Al-malki 6

Al Shamal - Al Rayyan 83-92

Another exciting game was again a derby between two teams from Doha: Al Rayyan (#1) and Al Shamal (#6). Al Shamal was defeated at home 83-92 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. Al Rayyan dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to Al Shamal's 24. Al Rayyan forced 19 Al Shamal turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists. It was an exceptional evening for Latvian Rolands Freimanis (209-1988) who led the winners and scored 31 points and 9 rebounds. International center Tyler Harris (208-1993, college: Auburn) accounted for 20 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winning side. Worth to mention Harris played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped get the job in pro basketball. American Troy Baxter Jr (206-1996, college: Morgan St.) came up with 25 points and 4 assists and naturalized Senegalese forward Alioune Ndoye (199-1986) added 14 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for Al Shamal in the defeat. Four Al Shamal players scored in double figures. Al Rayyan (13-1) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place. Al Shamal lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with nine games lost. Al Rayyan's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Doha to the arena .
Top scorers:
Al Shamal: T.Baxter Jr. 25+3reb+4ast, T.Crump 19+7reb+3ast, N.Alioune 14+13reb+4ast, H.Ghassan 13+3reb+5ast, C.Christian 9+2reb+5ast, S.Rector 3+3reb+1ast
Al Rayyan: F.Rolands 31+9reb+2ast, H.Tyler 20+4reb+2ast, D.Babacar 18+4reb+3ast, A.Mousa 9+2reb+9ast, B.Rion 7+5reb+6ast, B.Magassa 4+4reb

Al Shamal - Al Sadd 88-105

Another exciting game was again a derby match of two local teams from Doha: Al Sadd (#3) and Al Shamal (#6). Al Shamal was crushed at home by 17 points 88-105 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. Al Sadd looked well-organized offensively handing out 31 assists comparing to just 18 passes made by Al Shamal's players. The best player for the winners was Moustafa Fouda who had a double-double by scoring 31 points and 10 assists. American center Malik Toppin (206-1997, college: Salem) chipped in a double-double by scoring 25 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Toppin is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Tyree Crump (185-1997, college: Georgia, agency: BIG) who recorded 30 points and 5 rebounds and the other American import guard Shane Rector (188-1994, college: Utah St.) added 19 points respectively. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Al Sadd. They maintain third place with 10-4 record having just three points less than leader Al Rayyan. Al Shamal lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the sixth position with nine games lost. Al Sadd's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Doha Al Ahli.
Top scorers:
Al Shamal: T.Crump 30+5reb+3ast, S.Rector 19+4reb+3ast, T.Baxter Jr. 16+5reb+3ast, N.Alioune 12+8reb, H.Ghassan 11+4reb+7ast, E.Eiad 0+1ast
Al Sadd: M.Fouda 31+10ast, T.Malik 25+10reb+6ast, G.Steven 18+14reb+8ast, B.Christos 13+4reb+5ast, F.Abuissa 11+3reb+2ast, O.Saad 7+1reb

Qatar Club - Al Sadd 94-112

Not a big story in a game in Doha where 8th ranked Qatar Club (2-12) was defeated by third ranked Al Sadd (10-4) 112-94 on Wednesday. Al Sadd made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Al Sadd had a 32-21 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Qatar Club's players. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Al Sadd made 7 blocks. The best player for the winners was American guard Steven Green (196-1993, college: OKBU) who had a triple-double by scoring 31 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. His fellow American import center Malik Toppin (206-1997, college: Salem) chipped in a double-double by scoring 30 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks (on 14-of-15 shooting from the field). Toppin is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Jamaican guard Josh Nicholas (190-1998, college: ULM) who recorded 31 points, 6 assists and 4 steals (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) and Serbian Dejan Janjic (198-1995) added 31 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. Five Al Sadd and four Qatar Club players scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Al Sadd. They maintain third place with 10-4 record having just three points less than leader Al Rayyan. Qatar Club lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the eighth position with 12 games lost. Al Sadd's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Doha Al Ahli.
Top scorers:
Qatar Club: J.Nicholas 31+4reb+6ast, J.Dejan 31+6reb+4ast, T.Thompson 17+18reb, A.Mitrovic 15+4reb, A.Rayan 0, A.Qahtan 0+1reb
Al Sadd: G.Steven 31+13reb+14ast, T.Malik 30+17reb+2ast, B.Christos 21+3reb+2ast, F.Abuissa 16+2reb+2ast, O.Saad 13+3reb+7ast, T.Abuissa 1+1reb