POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Fadi El Khatib
Syria - Palestine 86-70
Syria opened win count in Amman> They outlasted Palestine for 1-3 record. Micheal Madanly (194-SF-81) posted 21 points and 11 assists to pace the winners. Palestine jumped to a 23:14 lead after ten minutes. Syria however responded with a strong 29:11 run in the second term to spur ahead. Syria dropped 43 points in the second half to ice the win. Omar Cheikh (204-C-91) tallied 17 points and 19 boards for the winners. Jamal Abu-Shamala (196-F/G-87, college: Minnesota) responded with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Palestine.
Iran - Iraq 92-80
Iran beat Iraq to qualify for 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. Mohammad Jamshidi (199-SF-91) nailed 27 points to lead the winners. Iran unloaded 56 points in the first half to take a 19-point advantage. Iraq narrowed the deficit in the second half but could not avoid the loss. Behnam Yakhchali (196-SG-95) delivered 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Kevin Galloway (200-PG-88, college: Texas Southern) responded with 29 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds for Iraq.
Jordan - Lebanon 61-72
Lebanon toppled Jordan to conquer WABA Championship title in Amman. Fadi El Khatib (198-F/G-79) was pivotal with 33 points and 6 rebounds for the champions. Lebanon set the tone early in the game. They recorded a 27:9 lead ten minutes into the game. Jordan narrowed the gap at 8-point mark at the final intermission. But Lebanon used a 20:17 run in the fourth frame to seal the win. Mohamad Haidar (201-F-90, college: Michigan Tech) accounted for 18 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Mousa Alawadi (188-G-85) responded with 16 points for Jordan. Ahmad Alhamarsheh (197-F-86) had 12 points in the loss.
