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MANAMA (Bahrain) – Lebanon and Bahrain become the first two teams to qualify directly for the 2021 FIBA Cup Asia after racking up victories to close out Group D action in the second window.
Lebanon started by recovering from a double-digit deficit to avoid being bothered by Iraq, 78-69. Bahrain then completed a successful run in Window 2 by beating India once again, 88-72.
Lebanon got off to a slow start once again in their second window game. This worked in Iraq’s favor as they pushed the pace to build a lead of up to 10 points in the second quarter.
Demario Mayfield (22 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists) was spectacular as always and received a lot of help from Mohammed Al-Khafaji. The energetic big man contributed an efficient 15 points on 6-7 shooting from the field.
Then Lebanon changed the script in the second half. The Cedars began a 4-0 streak in the final minute of the second quarter that climbed to a total of 14 unanswered points to start the third quarter. Lebanon held the lead until the last ring to avoid a surprise against Iraq without victories.
Wael Arakji starred in Lebanon once again, with another hot shot performance. He led all scorers with 25 points on 9-16 shooting from the field in the victory.
Bahrain might have had the best momentum going into this game after two straight wins in the Qualifiers, but India played like this and had something to prove. India’s starters came out the burning doors and built up an advantage of up to 18 points in the first half.
Despite the huge deficit, Bahrain never flinched and gradually got back into the game. At halftime they were only down by 8 points and less than 3 minutes into the third quarter, Bahrain finally taking the lead. After a dominant 29-8 third quarter, coach Sam Vincent’s team sailed the rest of the way to victory in a miraculous 34-point turnaround. Bahrain rained on 12 triples with a 42.9 percent conversation rate in this win.
Promising prospect Muzamil Hamoda continues to shine in the Qualifiers for Bahrain, finishing this match with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He’s always a threat to stand out and he did it in this game with a thunderous dunk with a transitional hand.
Veteran Mohamed Kawaid also had an impressive game for Bahrain, doing a bit of everything to finish with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. CJ Giles was the leading man in the paint for Bahrain, recording a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.
India’s starters were productive from the start, be it Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (18 points), Amjyot Singh (15 points, 9 rebounds), Muin Bek Hafeez (10 points) and Jagdeep Singh (12 points). However, they were unable to maintain that energy for the full 40 minutes of regulation.
The victories of Lebanon and Bahrain make them the first two teams to qualify directly for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021. There will be a total of 16 teams in the region’s main event, consisting of the top two teams from each group in the Qualifiers and four more teams that will be classified through a separate tournament between the third classified from each group.
The third and final window of the Group D Qualifiers will feature several major games. India and Iraq are scheduled to play in a game that should decide which team will finish third in the standings. Lebanon is also scheduled to play Bahrain in a match that could decide the best team in the group.
FIBA
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