SBL Round 12 (Regular Season): Al Nasr lose to Al Ittihad in the game between Top 4 teams

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game between Top Four teams took place in Riyadh. 4th ranked host Al Nasr (8-4) was smashed by top-ranked Al Ittihad (12-0) 93-73. Al Ittihad dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Al Nasr's 20. They outrebounded Al Nasr 42-27 including 29 on the defensive glass. Worth to mention a great performance of American point guard Keron DeShields (190-1992, college: Tennessee St., agency: Diamond Sports) who helped to win the game recording 31 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international center Mohammed AlMarwani (206-1989) who added 11 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Al Ittihad's coach Slobodan Subotic used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The best for the losing side was American guard Donte McGill (190-1995, college: FIU) with 28 points and 8 rebounds. Undefeated Al Ittihad have an impressive 12-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 12-0 record. Al Nasr at the other side keeps the fourth place with four games lost. Al Ittihad are looking forward to face bottom-ranked Al Khewaildia (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Al Nasr will play against Ohod (#7) and is hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Bottom-ranked Al Khewaildia (0-12) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their 12th consecutive match to ninth ranked Al Khaleej (3-9) 67-50. The winners were led by Canadian forward Richard Amardi (206-1990, college: Oregon, agency: BIG) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 23 points and 20 rebounds and Qyidar Davis supported him with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Even 13 points and 9 rebounds by American forward Chase Berry (198-1998, college: Boise St.) did not help to save the game for Al Khewaildia. Al Khewaildia's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. Al Khaleej moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Ohod and Al Safa. Al Khewaildia at the other side, also newcomer in the league, still closes the standings with 12 games lost. Al Khaleej will play against higher ranked Al Fateh (#5) in Al Hasa in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Al Khewaildia will play on the road against the league's leader Al Ittihad (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
The game in Safwa was also quite interesting. Sixth ranked Al Salam (5-7) played at the court of 8th ranked Al Safa (3-9). Al Salam defeated Al Safa 89-75 on Monday. The best player for the winners was Mamadou Samb who had a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 24 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Dhieu Abwok who recorded 30 points. Al Salam moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Al Fateh. Al Safa lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. They share it with Ohod and Al Khaleej. Al Salam will meet league's second-placed Al Ahli in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Al Safa will play against Al-Ula (#3) and hope to secure a win.

In the last two games of round 12 Al Ahli destroyed Al Fateh on the opponent's court 97-69. Al-Ula outscored Ohod in a home game 133-89.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 53 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds by Jonathan Gibson of Al-Ula.



Al Nasr - Al Ittihad 73-93

The game between Top Four teams took place in Riyadh. 4th ranked host Al Nasr (8-4) was smashed by top-ranked Al Ittihad (12-0) 93-73. Al Ittihad dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Al Nasr's 20. They outrebounded Al Nasr 42-27 including 29 on the defensive glass. Worth to mention a great performance of American point guard Keron DeShields (190-1992, college: Tennessee St., agency: Diamond Sports) who helped to win the game recording 31 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international center Mohammed AlMarwani (206-1989) who added 11 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Five Al Ittihad players scored in double figures. Al Ittihad's coach Slobodan Subotic used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The best for the losing side was American guard Donte McGill (190-1995, college: FIU) with 28 points and 8 rebounds and his fellow American import Carlton Bragg Jr (208-1995, college: N.Mexico) scored 14 points and 7 rebounds. Al Ittihad have an impressive 12-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 12-0 record. Al Nasr at the other side keeps the fourth place with four games lost. Al Ittihad are looking forward to face bottom-ranked Al Khewaildia (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Al Nasr will play against Ohod (#7) and is hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Al Ittihad: K.DeShields 31+5reb+5ast, M.Almarwani 15+5reb+2ast, M.Maker 13+9reb+1ast, M.AlMarwani 11+13reb+3ast, N.Alabsi 10+3reb+2ast, S.Braimoh 5+3reb
Al Nasr: D.McGill 28+8reb+1ast, C.Bragg Jr. 14+7reb, N.Abo Jallas 11+3reb+3ast, A.Mobaraki 7+1reb, B.Alsulimani 6+3reb+2ast, F.Fakihi 3+2reb

Al Safa - Al Salam 75-89

The game in Safwa was also quite interesting. Sixth ranked Al Salam (5-7) played at the court of 8th ranked Al Safa (3-9). Al Salam defeated Al Safa 89-75 on Monday. Al Salam outrebounded Al Safa 46-24 including a 35-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al Salam looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Al Safa's players. The best player for the winners was Senegalese-Spanish power forward Mamadou Samb (210-1989) who had a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 24 rebounds and 6 assists. American guard Ashford Golden (195-1995, college: MACU) chipped in a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Worth to mention Golden played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped get the job in pro basketball. At the other side the best for losing team was South Sudanese guard Dhieu Abwok (196-2001, college: UTSA) who recorded 30 points and Rayan Alahmed added 20 points respectively. Al Salam moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Al Fateh. Al Safa lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. They share it with Ohod and Al Khaleej. Al Salam will meet league's second-placed Al Ahli in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Al Safa will play against Al-Ula (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Al Salam: M.Samb 33+24reb+6ast, A.Golden 33+11reb+4ast, H.Binmohammed 7+1reb+8ast, A.AlQassab 6+3reb+3ast, R.Almatroud 6+4reb+1ast, H.Aldarwish 2+3reb
Al Safa: D.Abwok 30+4reb+1ast, R.Alahmed 20+1reb+2ast, C.Alley Jr. 12+6reb+1ast, A.Qashqri 6+5reb+1ast, L.Robertin 4+1reb, A.Alahmed 3+5reb

Al Fateh - Al Ahli 69-97

Rather expected game in Al Hasa where 5th ranked Al Fateh (5-7) was crushed by second ranked Al Ahli (11-1) 97-69 on Monday. Al Ahli made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. Al Ahli outrebounded Al Fateh 40-27 including a 33-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was American guard Darius Hall (188, college: Bryant & Str OH) who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds. The other American import forward Devin Ebanks (206-1989, college: WVU) chipped in 16 points and 9 rebounds. Four Al Ahli players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Nick Stover (198-1993, college: USA) who recorded 22 points and 8 rebounds and Cameroonian center Junior MBida (206-1990) added 15 points and 7 rebounds 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 Ahli have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 11-1 record behind leader Al Ittihad. Loser Al Fateh keeps the fifth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Al Salam. Al Ahli will meet at home Al Salam (#6) in the next round. Al Fateh will play against Al Khaleej and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Al Ahli: D.Hall 26+5reb+1ast, D.Ebanks 16+9reb+3ast, A.Shubayli 14+7reb+1ast, A.Almuwallad 12+2reb, K.Abdel-Gabar 11+7reb+2ast, P.Jones III 8+5reb+3ast
Al Fateh: N.Stover 22+8reb+3ast, J.MBida 15+7reb+3ast, S.Al-Subaiei 8+3reb+4ast, H.Alrasheed 7+3reb+4ast, H.Aljohar 6+1reb+2ast, H.Al-Mohammed 4+1reb

Al Khaleej - Al Khewaildia 67-50

Bottom-ranked Al Khewaildia (0-12) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their 12th consecutive match to ninth ranked Al Khaleej (3-9) 67-50. Al Khaleej held Al Khewaildia to an opponent 24.6 percent shooting from the field compared to 36.9 percent accuracy of the winners. They outrebounded Al Khewaildia 54-36 including a 42-29 advantage in defensive rebounds. The winners were led by Canadian forward Richard Amardi (206-1990, college: Oregon, agency: BIG) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 23 points and 20 rebounds and American swingman Qyidar Davis (198-1993, college: Indiana St.) supported him with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Davis is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. Even 13 points and 9 rebounds by American forward Chase Berry (198-1998, college: Boise St.) did not help to save the game for Al Khewaildia. His fellow American import guard Jermale Jones (185-1986, college: Tuskegee, agency: Skythletics? ) added 17 points and 5 rebounds. Al Khewaildia's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. Al Khaleej moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Ohod and Al Safa. Al Khewaildia at the other side, also newcomer in the league, still closes the standings with 12 games lost. Al Khaleej will play against higher ranked Al Fateh (#5) in Al Hasa in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Al Khewaildia will play on the road against the league's leader Al Ittihad (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Al Khaleej: R.Amardi 23+20reb+1ast, Q.Davis 21+8reb+2ast, M.Al-Hezam 10+2reb+1ast, A.Al-Darweesh 6+6reb+4ast, A.Ashoor 5+8reb+5ast, H.Ali 2+9reb
Al Khewaildia: J.Jones 17+5reb+1ast, C.Berry 13+9reb+2ast, A.Al-Mahroos 10+2reb+1ast, Z.Tyson 5+9reb+1ast, A.Al-Sheef 5+3reb+1ast, K.Al-Amrad 0

Al-Ula - Ohod 133-89

Rather predictable result when third ranked Al-Ula (10-2) smashed at home 7th ranked Ohod (3-9) 133-89 on Monday. Al-Ula dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Ohod's 28 and made 16-of-21 free shots (76.2 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Ohod 49-28 including a 36-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. Al-Ula looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American point guard Jonathan Gibson (188-1987, college: NM State) who scored 53 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds (went 10 for 10 at the free throw line !!!). The other American import forward Thomas Wimbush (201-1993, college: Fairmont St., agency: Slash Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Al-Ula's coach Stratos Koukoulekidis felt very confident that he used 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. At the other side the best for losing team was Osama Alzahrani who recorded 15 points and 7 rebounds and American guard Kenny Hayes (189-1987, college: Miami, OH) added 18 points and 5 assists respectively. Four Al-Ula and five Ohod players scored in double figures. Al-Ula have an impressive six-game winning streak. Newly promoted Al-Ula maintains third position with 10-2 record having just two points less than leader Al Ittihad. Loser Ohod keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. They share the position with Al Khaleej and Al Safa. Al-Ula will meet Al Safa (#9) in the next round where they are favorite. Ohod will play against Al Nasr in Riyadh and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Al-Ula: J.Gibson 53+9reb+1ast, M.Alsuwailem 19+13reb+3ast, T.Wimbush 18+12reb+6ast, M.Alsaqer 11+5reb+5ast, M.Saleh 9+3reb+2ast, A.Aljezani 9+4reb+2ast
Ohod: K.Hayes 18+2reb+5ast, A.Mitrovic 16+5reb+2ast, O.Alzahrani 15+7reb+3ast, A.Fallatah 12+7reb+3ast, E.Altasan 12+1reb, M.Alshanqiti 11+2reb