SBL Round 19 (Regular Season): Al Nassr is defeated by Al Fateh

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. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game between second ranked Al Nassr (15-3) and seventh ranked Al Fateh (9-9) was the most important one in the last round on Friday night. Al Nassr was defeated by Al Fateh in a tough game in Al Hasa 71-80. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Al Nassr. They outrebounded Al Nassr 50-30 including a 39-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Fateh looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Antonio Campbell (206-1994, college: Ohio) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Mohammed Al-Saquer helped adding 9 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. At the losing side American guard Cedric Russell (188-1999, college: Ohio St.) responded with 18 points. Al Nassr's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Al Fateh moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Al Wehda. Al Nassr at the other side keeps the second position with three games lost. They share it with Al Hilal. Al Fateh is looking forward to face higher ranked Al Hilal (#3) in Riyadh in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Al Nassr will play at home against Al Salam and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Al Ahli (14-4) against fifth ranked Ohod (12-6) on Friday night. Visiting Al Ahli was defeated by Ohod in a tough game in Medina 68-73. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Al Ahli. It was an exceptional evening for South Sudanese-Australian forward Deng Deng (203-1992, college: Baylor) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Mohammad Saleh accounted for 15 points. American forward Deandre Liggins (198-1988, college: Kentucky) came up with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for Al Ahli in the defeat. Al Ahli's coach Ali Alsanhani tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Ohod have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 12-6 record. Defending champion Al Ahli dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. Ohod will play against league's leader Ittihad in Jeddah in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Al Ahli will play at home against Al Wehda and hopes to get back on the winning track.
SBL top team - Ittihad (16-2) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed sixth ranked Al Wehda (9-9) in Mecca 108-67. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Wehda. Alex Young fired 33 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Muhammed Ahmed produced 22 points and 7 rebounds for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Ittihad have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-2 record. Loser Al Wehda keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. They share it with Al Fateh. Ittihad will meet at home Ohod (#5) in the next round. Al Wehda will play against Al Ahli in Jeddah and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 19: Deba lost to Al Safa on the opponent's court 82-98. Al Khaleej managed to outperform Al Taawoun in a home game 88-72. Al Hilal rolled over Al Salam on the road 109-68.



Al Safa - Deba 98-82

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 11th ranked Deba's (1-17) road loss to tenth ranked Al Safa (5-13) 82-98 on Friday. Al Safa dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Deba's 40. Al Safa forced 23 Deba turnovers. American forward Dikembe Dixson (201-1996, college: UIC) fired a double-double by scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Ali Alahmed chipped in 24 points and 4 steals. Four Al Safa players scored in double figures. Guyanese-American forward Kevin Mickle (201-1993, college: Ohio) produced a double-double by scoring 29 points and 13 rebounds and American-Jamaican guard Josh Nicholas (190-1998, college: ULM) added 33 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!) respectively for lost side. Al Safa moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Al Khaleej. Loser Deba keeps the eleventh position with 17 games lost. Al Safa will meet bottom-ranked Al Taawoun (#12) in the next round. Deba will play against Al Khaleej and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Deba: J.Nicholas 33+6reb, K.Mickle 29+13reb, A.Abdullah 13+4reb+3ast, A.Eyad 5+9reb+1ast, I.Suhail 2+7reb, A.Mohammed 0+1ast
Al Safa: A.Ali 24+3reb+1ast, D.Dixson 23+11reb+2ast, D.Morgan 21+3reb+3ast, J.Friday 14+7reb+2ast, A.Reda 8+2reb, S.Rashad 6+4reb+1ast

Al Khaleej - Al Taawoun 88-72

Rather predictable result when tenth ranked Al Khaleej (5-13) defeated at home bottom-ranked Al Taawoun (0-18) 88-72 on Friday. Congolese-French forward Nobel Boungou-Colo (202-1988) fired a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. American point guard Derek StHilaire (183-1998, college: New Orleans) chipped in 30 points and 6 rebounds. American forward Corey Sanders (188-1997, college: Rutgers) produced 35 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds and Bosnian center Markus Loncar (213-1996) added 16 points and 17 rebounds respectively for lost side. Al Khaleej moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Al Safa. Loser Al Taawoun still closes the standings. Al Khaleej will meet Deba (#11) in the next round. Al Taawoun will play against Al Safa and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Al Taawoun: C.Sanders 35+5reb+3ast, M.Loncar 16+17reb+2ast, B.Murad 9+2ast, A.Alwaleed 3+4reb+1ast, A.Abdullah 3+2reb+1ast, D.Gilmore 3+3reb
Al Khaleej: N.Boungou-Colo 33+10reb+6ast, D.St.Hilaire 30+6reb+1ast, A.Mohammed 9+2reb, A.Al-Darweesh 6+1reb+1ast, A.Mosa 2+7reb+2ast, M.Almutairi 2+3reb

Al Salam - Al Hilal 68-109

Not a big story in a game in Al-Awamiyah where 8th ranked Al Salam (7-11) was rolled over by third ranked Al Hilal (15-3) 109-68 on Friday. Al Hilal dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Al Salam's 34. They outrebounded Al Salam 51-25 including a 38-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Hilal looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Al Salam's players. The former international center Mohammed Alsuwailem (211-1998) fired a double-double by scoring 17 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. American guard Antwan Scott (185-1992, college: Colorado St.) chipped in a double-double by scoring 20 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists. Four Al Hilal players scored in double figures. American swingman Brandon Austin (198-1994, college: NW Florida St.) produced 27 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and American-Bahrain Wayne Chism (206-1987, college: Tennessee) added 20 points and 13 rebounds respectively for lost side. 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 Hilal have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Al Nassr. Al Salam lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 11 games lost. Al Hilal will meet at home Al Fateh (#6) in the next round. Al Salam will play against the league's second-placed Al Nassr in Riyadh and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Al Salam: B.Austin 27+6reb+4ast, W.Chism 20+13reb+1ast, A.Bader 13+1reb+1ast, A.Osama 2+1ast, A.Hyder Mustafa 2+1reb, Y.Fallatah 2+1reb+2ast
Al Hilal: D.Walton 20+6reb+1ast, A.Scott 20+5reb+11ast, T.McCallum 19+5reb+1ast, A.Mohammed 17+17reb+4ast, O.Albargawi 9+6reb+5ast, N.Alabsi 8+2reb+3ast

Al Wehda - Ittihad 67-108

SBL top team - Ittihad (16-2) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed sixth ranked Al Wehda (9-9) in Mecca 108-67. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Wehda. Ittihad dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Al Wehda's 34. They outrebounded Al Wehda 50-27 including a 43-22 advantage in defensive rebounds. Ittihad looked well-organized offensively handing out 39 assists comparing to just 21 passes made by Al Wehda's players. American forward Alex Young (198-1989, college: IUPUI) fired 33 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. His fellow American import center James Edwards Jr (211-1997, college: Southern) chipped in a triple-double by scoring 11 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists. American forward Muhammed Ahmed (203, college: Bridgeport) produced 22 points and 7 rebounds and Mohammed Alhwsawi added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists respectively for lost side. Five Ittihad and four Al Wehda players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Ittihad have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-2 record. Loser Al Wehda keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. They share it with Al Fateh. Ittihad will meet at home Ohod (#5) in the next round. Al Wehda will play against Al Ahli in Jeddah and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Al Wehda: M.Ahmed 22+7reb+1ast, M.Thamer 12+5reb+3ast, Q.Alaa 12+1reb, A.Mohammed 10+5reb+10ast, B.Hussam 4+3reb+2ast, A.Ayob 3+3reb+2ast
Ittihad: A.Young 33+6reb+5ast, M.AlMarwani 14+10reb+2ast, M.Almarwani 13+3reb+3ast, J.Edwards Jr. 11+13reb+17ast, L.Williams 10+6reb+1ast, I.Mustafa 7+2reb+2ast

Al Fateh - Al Nassr 80-71

The game between second ranked Al Nassr (15-3) and seventh ranked Al Fateh (9-9) was the most important one in the last round on Friday night. Al Nassr was defeated by Al Fateh in a tough game in Al Hasa 71-80. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Al Nassr. They outrebounded Al Nassr 50-30 including a 39-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Fateh looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Antonio Campbell (206-1994, college: Ohio) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Mohammed Al-Saquer helped adding 9 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. At the losing side American guard Cedric Russell (188-1999, college: Ohio St.) responded with 18 points and the other American import Carlton Bragg Jr (208-1995, college: N.Mexico) scored 9 points and 8 rebounds. Al Nassr's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Al Fateh moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Al Wehda. Al Nassr at the other side keeps the second position with three games lost. They share it with Al Hilal. Al Fateh is looking forward to face higher ranked Al Hilal (#3) in Riyadh in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Al Nassr will play at home against Al Salam and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Al Nassr: C.Russell 18+3reb+1ast, F.Aldawsari 12+2reb, K.Musab 10+4reb+3ast, C.Bragg Jr. 9+8reb+1ast, P.Hardy 8+7reb+2ast, T.Almuhanna 7+1reb+4ast
Al Fateh: A.Campbell 20+13reb+4ast, A.Saad 18+3reb+1ast, E.Sosa 14+2reb+3ast, M.Al-Saquer 9+10reb+9ast, A.Fairley 7+5reb+1ast, A.Hazim 6+8reb

Ohod - Al Ahli 73-68

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Al Ahli (14-4) against fifth ranked Ohod (12-6) on Friday night. Visiting Al Ahli was defeated by Ohod in a tough game in Medina 68-73. It ended at the same time the eight-game winning streak of Al Ahli. It was an exceptional evening for South Sudanese-Australian forward Deng Deng (203-1992, college: Baylor) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. International Mohammad Saleh (184-1999) accounted for 15 points for the winning side. American forward Deandre Liggins (198-1988, college: Kentucky) came up with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and the other American import Hollis Thompson (203-1991, college: Georgetown) added 15 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Al Ahli in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Al Ahli's coach Ali Alsanhani tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Ohod have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 12-6 record. Defending champion Al Ahli dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. Ohod will play against league's leader Ittihad in Jeddah in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Al Ahli will play at home against Al Wehda and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Al Ahli: D.Liggins 15+6reb+6ast, H.Thompson 15+7reb+3ast, A.Shubayli 13+9reb+1ast, M.Abdulrahman 10+5reb+1ast, I.Aska 8+5reb, B.Ayman 7+5reb+2ast
Ohod: D.Deng 21+14reb+4ast, S.Mohammad 15+3reb+3ast, F.Belal 14+5reb+1ast, A.Almukhtar 10+8reb+2ast, F.Abdulrahman 8, A.Abdulaziz 5+2reb+2ast