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LEBANON increased the pressure in the second half, facing India with a 99-71 beating on Monday (Manila time) in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers at Khalifa Sport City in Manama.
Joseph Chartouny was fired up for the Cedars with 24 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three, to go with six rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Lebanese team swept Group D with their perfect 6-0 record.
Gerard Hadidian added a double-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Sergio El Darwich and Ezzeddine Karim Raphael each scored 14 points.
After a tight 51-44 halftime, Lebanon opened the floodgates in the third period, breaking with a 28-14 run to take a 21-point, 79-58 lead.
That spread grew to 32 points, 99-67, with a dunk by El Darwich with 32 seconds left, putting the exclamation point on the Cedars’ excellent performance in the playoffs.
Aravind Annadurai was the only player to reach double digits in scoring for India with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the loss.
Despite the loss, India, in third place in the group with their 2-4 scorecard, will still have a chance to advance to the continental tilt against the third-ranked of all six groups in a final qualifying tournament yet to be determined.
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