Doha: Al Rayyan experienced their first defeat of the 2024-2025 Qatar Basketball League season, falling to the reigning champions, Al Arabi, with a narrow 79-78 score. This thrilling encounter took place yesterday evening at the QBF Indoor Hall, marking the conclusion of the eighth round in the first division.
The game was characterized by intense competition, with the scores remaining closely contested throughout the four quarters. Al Arabi commenced the game with a strong performance, leading 23-21 in the first quarter. However, Al Rayyan responded effectively, showcasing their dominance in the second quarter with a score of 16-12. In the third period, Al-Arabi regained the upper hand, outscoring Al Rayyan 23-19, which kept the contest open until the final quarter. In the last quarter, Al Rayyan attempted a comeback, but Al Arabi ultimately secured the victory with a 24-19 score.
Elmedin Kikanovic of Al Arabi delivered an outstanding performance, contributing 37 points and guiding his team to a crucial win. Conversely, Justin Gammel Wright Foreman stood out for Al Rayyan, scoring 29 points in a valiant effort to keep his team competitive until the final moments.
Despite the loss, Al Rayyan retained their position at the top of the league standings with 15 points, concluding the first division campaign as the leader. Meanwhile, Al Arabi, the defending champion, climbed to second place in the league with 12 points, tied with Al Sadd, who occupies third place, both having played seven matches.
In a separate game, Al Ahli delivered a commendable performance, securing a well-deserved victory over Al Gharafa with a score of 90-82.
The game began with a clear superiority for Al Ahli in the first quarter (26-11), but Al Gharafa came back strongly in the second quarter (27-15), which restored balance to the match.
Al Ahli maintained its superiority in the third and fourth quarters (24-22 and 25-22), ending the match in its favor with a comfortable margin.
At the end of the game, Al Ahli moved up to fifth place with 11 points, equal to Al Shamal, who are in fourth place, with both having played 7 matches, while Al Gharafa remained in ninth and last place with 8 points, equal to Al Khor, who are in eighth place, with both having played 7 matches.
Nadim Muslik emerged as Al-Gharafa’s star, scoring 30 points and showing great offensive capabilities, while Raequan Deshaun Rogers was Al Ahli’s top scorer with 23 points, confirming his presence as a decisive player at important times in the match.
