Al Rayyan kicked off its campaign in the 37th Arab Club Basketball Championship with a valuable and hard-fought victory over its Lebanese counterpart, Al Hekmeh, with a score of 86-81 in the match that brought the two teams together this evening in Dubai.
In a strong and exciting showdown, “The Fearsome” (Al-Raheeb) succeeded in overturning a first-quarter deficit to achieve an important win in the opening round of Group D.
The Lebanese team started the match strongly, dominating the first quarter and ending it in their favor with a score of 19-14. However, Al Rayyan quickly regained its balance in the second quarter, narrowing the gap and then taking the lead to end the first half with a slight advantage.
The third quarter witnessed intense competition between the two teams, as they exchanged points, resulting in a 29-29 tie for the quarter, which kept the excitement alive until the final minutes. In the decisive fourth quarter, Al Rayyan’s players managed to impose their rhythm and secure the game in their favor with a score of 21-17, thus guaranteeing a win in their first tournament match.
This victory is a significant morale boost for Al Rayyan at the start of its journey to compete for the Arab title. Meanwhile, Al Hekmeh, a club with a rich history in Arab basketball, will seek to bounce back in its upcoming game.
Al Rayyan is scheduled to face Syria’s Al Wahda in its next match, while Al Hekmeh will play against Oman’s Al Bashaer within the same group.