Kazma complete Gulf League envoy to FIBA WASL Final 8

KUWAIT CITY (Kuwait) - Kazma booked their ticket to the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 following a 93-83 come-from-behind victory over Muharraq in the Gulf League Third-Place Game, Monday night at the Shaikh Saad Alabdullah Sport Hall.

Abdulaziz Alhamidi and Yousiff Borhamah sparked the fourth-quarter run to complete the rally from as many as 17 down, and the crew would go on to secure their place in the pan-regional tilt's culminating event after bowing out of the sub-zone quarters last season.

Now they have become the third and final team from the Gulf League to reach the Final 8 after defending FIBA WASL champions Manama and reigning sub-zone titlists Kuwait Club.

Game heroes: Five players finished in double figures in the win, led by Travis Leslie with 24 points alongside 8 rebounds and 4 assists to net an efficiency of 30, more than enough to earn the fans' nod and be voted as the STEP AHEAD Player of the Game.

Clint Chapman nearly had a double-double as well with 22 points and 9 rebounds, together with 3 assists, a pair of steals, and a block to submit a full line as the veteran big man finally made the Final 8 after falling short of doing so with Al Hilal back in Season 1.

Albaloushi flirted with a rare triple-double as he tallied 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. Borhamah, on the other hand, did a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor as he delivered 13 points, 6. rebounds, the same number of assists, and 2 steals.

New pickup Elijah Love Robinson chipped in 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, marking a successful return to FIBA WASL after a stint with Manama last season.

Turning point: Kazma found themselves staring at a 76-72 deficit early in the final period, until Alhamidi and Borhamah connected on back-to-back triples to take the lead.

The seasoned tandem's big shots would spark a 12-0 run - which Borhamah himself capped off as well - toward an 84-76 advantage with exactly six minutes left to play, and that would be more than enough for the home team to stay in control the rest of the way.

As the buzzer sounded, Kazma immediately rushed into celebration while leaving dejected their Bahraini counterparts, which held a 44-27 lead during the second period.

Stats don't lie: Kazma tallied 28 assists in the victory, which undeniably spelled the difference this time as they were just averaging 22.8 assists prior to the battle for third.

 They said: "This win was by the players. They showed really great energy in the second half. Great heart. And they were rewarded for this." - Bojan Lazic, Head Coach, Kazma.

"We picked it up. We started playing our kind of basketball -- we were sharing the ball, we were moving the ball. We were more aggressive in the second half, and I think that's what helped us get the W." - Travis Leslie, Kazma

FIBA