Al Ahli's Raekwon Deshawn Rogers leaps to score.
Doha, Qatar: Raekwon Deshawn Rogers delivered a standout performance as Al Ahli claimed a crucial 95–78 win over Qatar Club in a fast-paced Basketball Federation Men's League clash at the QBF Indoor Hall yesterday.
While Al Ahli raised their points tally to 23, occupying the fourth spot in the standings, Qatar Club’s defeat marked a five-game losing streak as they are placed sixth on the League points table.
Yesterday’s game began with Al Ahli asserting their dominance early on as they raced to a 29–15 lead.
Qatar Club tried to close the gap in the second quarter by posting 19 points, but Al Ahli managed to keep up with the momentum with 22 points, taking a strong 51–34 advantage at the halfway mark.
After the break, Qatar Club looked more organised, aiming to close the gap.
They relied heavily on the efforts of Serbian Dejan Janjic, who put on a valiant attempt across 40 minutes, also becoming the top scorer of the match with 36 points while making 13 rebounds and eight assists.
His all-around effort kept Qatar Club in contention and was also supported by Georgios Mykoniatis who added 16 points.
However, Al Ahli’s star of the night, Rogers scored 32 points while making six rebounds and three assists during his 35-minute stay on the court to propel his team.
Al Ahli enjoyed another dominant quarter in the third, outscoring Qatar Club 25–22.
Despite a determined final-quarter effort by Qatar Club who led 22 against Al Ahli’s 19 in the last quarter, the latter prevailed with a total lead of 17 points.
Apart from Rogers, point-guard Armin Cane scored 17 points and made five rebounds and seven assists, while Mohammed Abbasher added 16 points, delivering seven assists and 10 rebounds for the Angelos Tsikliras-coached team.
