MUSCAT: Nizwa and Al Amerat clubs have advanced to the final of the Junior Basketball League for the current season after successfully overcoming the semifinal stage in two matches held at the auxiliary hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
In the first matchup, Al Amerat secured their place in the final with a clear 73–40 victory over Al Seeb. Al Amerat imposed their dominance from the early periods of the game thanks to strong organisation, quick ball movement, and a clear superiority on both the offensive and defensive ends.
The game began at a fast pace, with Al Seeb opening the scoring with a three-pointer before Al Amerat quickly responded to close the gap and gradually take control through a basket by Noah Brink and points from Sultan al Sulaimani to lead 6–5. Al Amerat continued their offensive pressure, capitalising on Al Seeb’s mistakes, as Mohammed al Battashi, Sami al Busaidy, and Sultan al Sinani added consecutive points, along with a successful three-pointer by Sami al Busaidy, to extend the lead. Despite attempts by Al Seeb through Abdulrahman al Kamshki and Daniel al Balushi, the first quarter ended with Al Amerat leading 23–12.
In the second quarter, Al Seeb tried to reduce the deficit by scoring early, but Al Amerat responded with another three-pointer by Sultan al Sinani and continued to widen the gap through solid defence and effective fast breaks, ending the first half ahead 43–18.
At the start of the third quarter, Al Amerat maintained its advantage, with both teams exchanging baskets in the opening minutes before Al Amerat once again imposed its rhythm. Their players competed in scoring to further extend the margin, ending the third quarter with a commanding 64–27 lead. In the fourth quarter, Al Amerat continued their overall superiority despite a relative improvement from Al Seeb, and the match concluded with a deserved 73–40 win for Al Amerat.
The match was officiated by Ali al Salmani as first referee and Al Mahdi al Alawi as second referee, with Ameema al Hajari, Salim al Jadidi, and Majid al Akhzami at the scorer’s table.
NIZWA CLINCH THE SEMIFINAL AND BOOK A FINAL DATE
In the second semifinal, Nizwa qualified for the final after defeating Qurayat 56–42 in a strong and competitive encounter. Nizwa dominated the first half, while Qurayat mounted a strong comeback in the second half that proved insufficient to overturn the result.
Nizwa started the game strongly, winning the first quarter 29–8, and continued their dominance in the second quarter, which they finished 17–9, to end the first half with a comfortable lead. In the third quarter, Qurayat showed improvement on both offence and defence, scoring 9 points compared to 6 for Nizwa. In the fourth quarter, Qurayat continued to push and managed to score 16 points, while Nizwa added 4 points. However, the large margin built by Nizwa early in the game was enough to secure qualification as they closed the match with a 56–42 victory.
Several Nizwa players stood out, led by Mulhim al Obaidani with 16 points, followed by Adam al Hinai with 11 points, and Elyas al Obaidani with 10 points. For Qurayat, Khamis al Sinani was the game’s top scorer with 24 points, alongside Mumtaz al Sinani, who added 9 points.
The match was officiated by referees Taha al Amri and Thabit al Hinai.
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