MUSCAT: In a thrilling matchup, the Al Bashayer club emerged victorious against Seeb, securing a 60-56 win in the second round of the Oman Basketball League for the 2023-2024 season. The triumph marked a successful comeback for Al Bashayer, avenging their earlier loss to Seeb in the first round.
With this result, both teams are tied at 23 points each, but Seeb lead with a basket difference, securing their places in the final round alongside Ahli Sidab.
At the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, the game witnessed intense competition, with Al Bashayer dominating in the first quarter, solidifying their control over the game. The offence contributed to scoring points and increasing the lead, while their defence thwarted most of Seeb attempts, thanks to the effective zone defence played by the Al Bashayer players. Despite Seeb's resurgence in the second, third and fourth quarters, Al Bashayer remained a strong contender and managed to secure the lead until the end of the game.
The match began with Al Bashayer taking the lead through a basket by Mahmoud al Souli. Their defence resisted consecutive attacks from Seeb, and Al Bashayer continued to intercept balls and pressurise Seeb's court. They added four points, through Nuh al Mahrooqi and professional player Damon James, both making successful shots from under the basket. Al Bashayer maintained their gameplay advantage, adding 21 points, while Seeb scored 11 points, ending the first quarter with Al Bashayer leading 27-11.
In the second quarter, Seeb improved both defensively and offensively, with Abdulredha al Battashi scoring two points with a shot from under the basket. Al Bashayer responded with two points from Adel al Battashi. Al Bashayer's Cameron scored a three-pointer, widening the gap to 32-13. Both teams continued their offensive attempts, with Seeb managing to add 9 points. Al Bashayer added 7 points, and the first half ended with Al Bashayer leading 39-22.
In the third quarter, Seeb changed their offensive and defensive strategies, gaining control and increasing pressure on Al Bashayer's court to narrow the gap. Seeb scored 19 points, while Al Bashayer only managed to score 10 points. Nevertheless, Al Bashayer maintained their lead, ending the third quarter with a score of 48-41 in their favour.
In the fourth quarter, Seeb continued to improve their performance, reducing the gap by scoring 15 points, while Al Bashayer added 12 points. The match concluded with Al Bashayer winning 60-56 over Seeb.
The match was officiated by international referees Ahmed al Balushi as the first referee, Essam al Siyabi as the second referee, and Mazen al Hilali as the third referee. Maryam al Zadjali, Mahmoud al Ajmi, and Fatima al Harthy were present at the table.
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