Al Rayyan: In the opening round of Group B matches of HH the Amir's Basketball Cup for the 2024/2025 season, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah clinched victories over Al Shamal and Al Khor, respectively, in matches held Wednesday at the Al Gharafa Union Hall.
According to Qatar News Agency, Al Rayyan triumphed over Al Shamal with a score of 106-83, dominating most of the game and winning the first three periods with scores of 29-20, 25-13, and 34-24. Although Al Shamal managed to win the fourth period (26-18), it was insufficient to close the gap. Justin Jamal Wright-Foreman of Al Rayyan was the game's top scorer with 42 points, while Emmanuel Ezinwa Egbota led Al Shamal with 25 points.
With this win, Al Rayyan earned their first two points in Group B, while Al Shamal settled for one point. In the second game, Al Wakrah defeated Al Khor with a score of 79-56, winning all four periods with scores of 16-9, 16-15, 22-18, and 25-14. Sindu Ismail Diallo of Al Wakrah was the best scorer with 25 points, while Karim Talal led Al Khor with 18 points. Al Wakrah also secured their first two points in Group B, while Al Khor earned one point.
Al Rayyan will face Al Wakrah, while Al Shamal will play against Al Khor in the second round of Group B matches scheduled for Saturday. Meanwhile, Group A's second-round matches will kick off tomorrow (Thursday), with defending champions Al Arabi facing Qatar SC and Al Ahli playing against Al Sadd.
The first round of Group A saw Al Ahli defeating Al Gharafa 76-72, while Al Sadd overcame Qatar SC 98-90. The first stage follows a single-round league system, with Group A consisting of Al Ahli, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, Al Arabi, and Qatar SC, while Group B includes Al Rayyan, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, and Al Shamal.
The group leader directly qualifies for the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in an elimination round (Play-In) to determine the remaining two semi-finalists. The semi-finals will be played in a best-of-three series, with the final scheduled to take place at Al Gharafa Hall on May 22.