SBL Round 20: Ohod lose to Al Ahli in the game between Top 4 teams

There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in SBL. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game between Top Four teams took place in Medina. 3rd ranked host Ohod (15-5) lost to first ranked Al Ahli (18-2) 101-86. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Ohod. Al Ahli dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Ohod's 26. They outrebounded Ohod 28-16. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Devin Ebanks (206-1989, college: WVU) who helped to win the game recording 28 points and forward Ayman Belal who added 22 points during the contest. American point guard James Justice (178-1989, college: UT Southern) responded with 36 points (!!!). Al Ahli maintains first position with 18-2 record, which they share with Al Nassr. Ohod at the other side keeps the third place with five games lost. They share the position with Al Fateh. Al Ahli is looking forward to face Al Adalah (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ohod will play against Al Salam (#8) in Al-Awamiyah and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Bottom-ranked Al Ansar managed to get the second consecutive victory. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Al Adalah in Medina 80-73. The winners were led by American center Raymond Miller (204-1988, college: CS Fullerton) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds and Cory Johnson supported him with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Even a double-double of 24 points, 19 rebounds and 5 assists by Russian forward Andrey Semenov (200-1990, college: JMU) did not help to save the game for Al Adalah. Al Ansar (3-17) moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Al Adalah and Al Taawoun. Al Adalah lost eleventh consecutive game. Al Ansar will play against higher ranked Al Wehda (#5) in Mecca in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Al Adalah will play on the road against the league's leader Al Ahli (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
An interesting game took place in Tabuk where 9th ranked Deba (5-15) was upset on its own court by twelfth ranked Al Ansar (3-17) 89-61 on Friday. The best player for the winners was Kelechi Ajukwa who had a double-double by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds. Vladyslav Koreniuk produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds for the hosts. Al Ansar moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Al Adalah and Al Taawoun. Deba lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 15 games lost. Al Ansar will meet higher ranked Al Wehda (#5) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Deba will play against Al Fateh (#3) in Al Hasa and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 20: Al Hilal destroyed Deba on the opponent's court 103-83. Al Wehda managed to outperform Ittihad in a home game 78-66. Al Fateh rolled over Al Taawoun on the road 93-71. Al Nassr defeated Al Salam on its own court 72-63.

Deba - Al Hilal 83-103

Rather expected game in Tabuk where 9th ranked Deba (5-15) was crushed by sixth ranked Al Hilal (12-8) 103-83 on Thursday. Al Hilal looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 17 passes made by Deba's players. The best player for the winners was American power forward Clinton Chapman (208-1989, college: Texas, agency: Diamond Sports) who had a double-double by scoring 27 points and 16 rebounds. The former international guard Nasser Alabsi (183-1993) chipped in 27 points and 6 assists. Four Al Hilal players scored in double figures. Al Hilal's coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Unique McLean (188, college: SFC, agency: Blacktop Management) produced 25 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and Jassim Hajji added 17 points respectively for the hosts. Defending champion moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Al Wehda. Deba lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 15 games lost. Al Hilal's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Riyadh Al Nassr.
Top scorers:
Deba: U.McLean 25+8reb+4ast, H.Jassim 17+4reb+3ast, J.Guity 10+13reb+1ast, I.Suhail 9, A.Eyad 9+4reb+2ast, F.Hussain 6+3reb+1ast
Al Hilal: C.Chapman 27+16reb+1ast, N.Alabsi 27+2reb+6ast, A.Mohammed 19+5reb+4ast, K.Abdel-Gabar 15+5reb+10ast, O.Albargawi 5+5reb+6ast, A.Alwaleed 5

Al Wehda - Ittihad 78-66

Rather predictable result in Mecca where fifth ranked Al Wehda (12-8) defeated 7th ranked Ittihad (9-11) 78-66 on Thursday. Al Wehda had a 37-26 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Al Wehda made 7 blocks. The best player for the winners was American forward Dewayne Jackson (203-1990, college: Morgan St.) who had a double-double by scoring 28 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks. The former international center Mohammed AlMarwani (206-1989) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds. Four Al Wehda players scored in double figures. Tunisian point guard Omar Abada (189-1993) produced 20 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists and the former international Mathna Almarwani (186-1992) added 24 points and 6 rebounds respectively for the guests. Al Wehda maintains fifth position with 12-8 record, which they share with Al Hilal. Loser Ittihad keeps the seventh place with 11 games lost. Al Wehda will meet at home Al Ansar (#11) in the next round where they are favorite. Ittihad will play against Al Taawoun (#12) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Ittihad: M.Almarwani 24+6reb+3ast, O.Abada 20+8reb+7ast, A.Yasir 14+3reb+1ast, C.Rhodes 8+9reb+2ast, A.AlMadani 0+1ast, A.Abdulmalek 0
Al Wehda: D.Jackson 28+11reb+7ast, M.AlMarwani 18+11reb+2ast, M.Thamer 14+5reb+7ast, F.Abdulrahman 14+6reb+6ast, B.Husam 4+6reb+1ast, A.Omar 0

Al Ansar - Al Adalah 80-73

Bottom-ranked Al Ansar managed to get the second consecutive victory. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Al Adalah in Medina 80-73. The winners were led by American center Raymond Miller (204-1988, college: CS Fullerton) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds and the other American import power forward Cory Johnson (202-1988, college: Valpo) supported him with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Four Al Ansar players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 24 points, 19 rebounds and 5 assists by Russian forward Andrey Semenov (200-1990, college: JMU) did not help to save the game for Al Adalah. Tunisian swingman Islem Elajmi (196-1991) added 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Al Ansar (3-17) moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Al Adalah and Al Taawoun. Al Adalah lost eleventh consecutive game. Al Ansar will play against higher ranked Al Wehda (#5) in Mecca in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Al Adalah will play on the road against the league's leader Al Ahli (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Al Adalah: A.Semenov 24+19reb+5ast, F.Aldawsari 14+2reb+1ast, A.Saqer Khalid 12+4reb+5ast, I.Elajmi 9+9reb+4ast, A.Moayad 6+1reb+1ast, S.Mohanned 5+5reb+1ast
Al Ansar: R.Miller 19+15reb+1ast, S.Khaled 19+2reb, A.Salman 17+7reb+4ast, C.Johnson 12+16reb+2ast, A.Ahmed 8+3reb+2ast, A.Tareq 5

Al Taawoun - Al Fateh 71-93

Not a big story in a game when 10th ranked Al Taawoun (3-17) was rolled over at home by fourth ranked Al Fateh (15-5) 93-71 on Friday. Al Fateh well out of reach of Al Taawoun shooting 71.7 percent from the field. They shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 66.7 percentage. The best player for the winners was Algerian forward Mohamed Harat (198-1990) who scored 27 points and 8 rebounds. American guard Falando Jones (193-1990, college: MVSU) chipped in 26 points (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). American guard Darious Clark (193-1990, college: Slippery Rock, agency: Domantay Sports) produced 24 points and Serbian power forward Aleksandar Marelja (207-1992, agency: BeoBasket) added 17 points and 4 assists respectively for the hosts. Al Fateh have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Ohod. Al Taawoun lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the bottom position with 17 games lost. They share it with Al Ansar and Al Adalah. Al Fateh will meet at home Deba (#9) in the next round where they are favorite. Al Taawoun will play against Ittihad in Jeddah and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Al Taawoun: D.Clark 24+3reb, A.Marelja 17+3reb+4ast, S.Almutairi 13+1ast, A.Ahmad 9+1reb+1ast, A.Mustafa 7+3reb+2ast, A.Abdullah 1
Al Fateh: M.Harat 27+8reb+2ast, F.Jones 26+3reb+2ast, A.Mohammed 24+3reb+4ast, A.Hazim 8+4reb, A.Khodeir Ali 6+3ast, A.Saad 2+1reb+1ast

Ohod - Al Ahli 86-101

The game between Top Four teams took place in Medina. 3rd ranked host Ohod (15-5) lost to first ranked Al Ahli (18-2) 101-86. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Ohod. Al Ahli dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Ohod's 26. They outrebounded Ohod 28-16. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Devin Ebanks (206-1989, college: WVU) who helped to win the game recording 28 points and forward Ayman Belal who added 22 points during the contest. Five Al Ahli players scored in double figures. American point guard James Justice (178-1989, college: UT Southern) responded with 36 points (!!!) and the former international point guard Fahad Belal (181-1991) scored 9 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Al Ahli maintains first position with 18-2 record, which they share with Al Nassr. Ohod at the other side keeps the third place with five games lost. They share the position with Al Fateh. Al Ahli is looking forward to face Al Adalah (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ohod will play against Al Salam (#8) in Al-Awamiyah and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Ohod: J.Justice 36+3reb+1ast, S.Mohammad 15+1reb+1ast, A.Ahmed 15+1reb+3ast, F.Belal 9+5reb+6ast, N.Elmore 6+6reb, F.Abdulrahman 3+1ast
Al Ahli: D.Ebanks 28+4reb+3ast, B.Ayman 22+4reb+3ast, S.Mohammed 17+6reb, D.Liggins 16+4reb+4ast, M.Almuwallad 14+8reb+6ast, A.Shubayli 2+1reb

Al Nassr - Al Salam 72-63

Everything went according to plan in Riyadh where second ranked Al Nassr (18-2) beat 8th ranked Al Salam (7-13) 72-63 on Saturday. Al Nassr dominated down low during the game scoring 44 of its points in the paint compared to Al Salam's 22. The best player for the winners was American forward Antonio Campbell (206-1994, college: Ohio) who had a double-double by scoring 28 points and 14 rebounds (on 13-of-16 shooting from the field). Nasser Abo Jallas chipped in a double-double by scoring 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Nick Stover (198-1993, college: USA) produced a double-double by scoring 27 points and 11 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and Abdulaziz Alallawi added 9 points and 7 rebounds respectively for the guests. Al Nassr have an impressive ten-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Al Ahli. Loser Al Salam keeps the eighth place with 13 games lost. Al Nassr's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Riyadh to the arena Al Hilal.
Top scorers:
Al Salam: N.Stover 27+11reb+2ast, A.Abdulaziz 9+7reb+3ast, A.Nimer Hussain 7+8reb+4ast, S.Rashad 6+2reb+2ast, A.McClain 6+1reb, A.Abdulladheem 3+4reb+1ast
Al Nassr: A.Campbell 28+14reb, B.Austin 15+2ast, A.Jallas Nasser 12+10reb+4ast, T.Almuhanna 5+6reb+6ast, A.Salem 4, F.Fahad 4+1reb+1ast

Round 14

Deba - Al Ansar 61-89

An interesting game took place in Tabuk where 9th ranked Deba (5-15) was upset on its own court by twelfth ranked Al Ansar (3-17) 89-61 on Friday. Strangely Deba outrebounded Al Ansar 37-23 including a 26-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was American-Nigerian guard Kelechi Ajukwa (201-1995, college: Charlotte) who had a double-double by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds. Guard Salman Almoulad chipped in 12 points and 4 assists. Ukrainian center Vladyslav Koreniuk (210-1994, agency: BIG) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds and American guard Unique McLean (188, college: SFC, agency: Blacktop Management) added 25 points respectively for the hosts. Al Ansar moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Al Adalah and Al Taawoun. Deba lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 15 games lost. Al Ansar will meet higher ranked Al Wehda (#5) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Deba will play against Al Fateh (#3) in Al Hasa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Deba: U.McLean 25+4reb+3ast, V.Koreniuk 14+19reb+1ast, H.Jassim 13+1reb+2ast, F.Hussain 4+2reb, H.Hisham 3+1reb, I.Suhail 2+3reb
Al Ansar: K.Ajukwa 41+14reb+2ast, A.Salman 12+3reb+4ast, S.Khaled 12+4reb+1ast, A.Ahmed 8+1reb+2ast, A.Mohannad 0, A.Suhair 0



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