Hot start leads to jubilant win in Jeddah for Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - A perfect start for Saudi Arabia lifts the team to a statement win over Qatar in the first FIBA game ever played in Jeddah, 68-57.

The first five minutes of the game followed what might have been an ideal script for coach Ali Alsanhani of Saudi Arabia. Not only did they go on a 10-0 run to blast out of the gates, they made all of their first 9 shots from the field which included four shots from beyond the arc. A layup by Marqouz Almuwallad near the 5-minute mark of the opening period gave Saudi Arabia a 22-7 lead, a cushion they were able to maintain up until the final buzzer.

Qatar weathered unfortunate bounces and even what seemed like an ankle injury for star scorer Abdulrahman Saad, but were never able to make it over the hump. The visitors got to as close as 5 points in the first half, but couldn’t get any closer. It certainly didn’t help when they flat-lined with no points scored in the first 4 minutes of the second half as well.

Nonetheless, Qatar kept fighting their way back into the game and cut the lead down to only 6 points early in the final quarter. Tensions grew as both teams went into a standstill, failing to score a single for nearly a 4-minute stretch.

Mathna Almarwani rose to the occasion, knocking down a clutch three-pointer and another fancy fastbreak layup to seal the deal. The 28-year-old finishes the game with 20 points on 6-11 shooting and 7 rebounds in an impressive Asia Cup Qualifier debut.

Saudi Arabia operated as a well-oiled machine with the players playing well in their roles, resulting in balanced scoring among their key players. Ayoub Alhawsawi stood out for the victors, wowing the crowd in Jeddah with electric plays and high-flying jams. Alhawsawi also made the basket that pushed the lead back to double-digits with just over 3 minutes left.

Another bright spot for the home team in this game was 21-year-old Mohammed Alsuwailem. The young big man might not have put many points on the board, but was rock solid in the paint with 9 boards and 3 big-time blocks.

Saudi Arabia can go for back-to-back wins in Jeddah when Syria comes to town on 23 February at 7:15 PM (GMT +3). On the other hand, Qatar will have a tough task at their next game on the same day in Tehran where they will face the mighty Iran.

FIBA