Day 4: Sweep for Iran, Lebanon; breakthrough for Syria, Iraq

NEW DELHI (India) - Iran finished their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers Window 1 campaign unbeaten following an 86-53 beatdown of India, Monday at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall.

 

 

Five players finished in double figures in the lopsided triumph, with lead swingman Behnam Yakhchali leading the way with a game-high 15 points.

Salar Monji and 18-year-old forward Mohammad Amini produced identical numbers of 14 points and 9 rebounds, with the former netting a game-best efficiency of 23.

Sajjad Mashayekhi, the hero in their overtime escape of Qatar last game, supplied 11 points. Meisam Mirzaei flirted with a double-double with 10 points and 9 boards.

Team Melli were holding a slim three-point lead late in the second period until Mirzaei led a 9-2 run that gave themselves a 42-32 cushion heading into halftime.

Iran would go on to break the game open in the third, pouring 25 points while holding the home team to 12 to head into the final chapter up with a commanding 67-44 lead.

A team that shot 47.8-percent from the floor, the Iranians imposed their will on the boards, 47-24, and dished the ball well that led to 19 team assists. They also had 10 steals as their defense forced India to commit 18 turnovers, which they turned to 25 points.

Issa stars as Syria beat UAE

Nadim Issa delivered in the endgame as Syria warded off UAE, 78-63, for a strong end to their Window 1 run at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai.

The national team vanguard finished with 18 points, scoring and assisting in the crucial 6-0 run that put their lead back up to 16, 73-57, with 66 seconds left to play - enough to restore order after the opposition got to within 10 thrice inside the last 5:38 from 19 down.

Javion Blake top-scored for the Syrians with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Majd Arbasha supplied 16 points as they entered the winners' circle after falling short of pulling off an upset against 2022 Asia Cup runners-up Lebanon the last time out.

Qais Omar Alshabebi had 14 points and 7 rebounds for UAE, who went winless this window as they lost both of their assignments, with their first one at the hands of Bahrain.

Kazakhstan survive Qatar

Kazakhstan needed some help from Lady Luck in the dying seconds to escape Qatar, 73-68, at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall to end the window with a 2-0 record.

Rustam Murzagaliyev knocked down a cold-blooded triple, before free throws by Roman Marchuk and Anton Bykov helped the visiting side come out with the win after the opposition roared back from as many as 12 and got to within a point, 65-64, with 1:58 left to play.

Bykov finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Vadim Chsherbak provided 18 points and 5 rebounds while Murzagaliyev made 15 points, which he all earned from deep.

Mohamed Saad had a game-high 20 points to lead the Qataris, which suffered another heartbreaking defeat after that overtime loss to Iran last Friday in Tehran.

Jordan roll past Saudi Arabia in Jeddah

Freddy Ibrahim showed the way as Jordan cruised to a 79-64 road victory over Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

The versatile guard finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, together with 2 steals and a block for the Falcons, which began to seize control of the game late in the third quarter on their way to finishing the window with a perfect 2-0 record.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made up for his 7-point outing in their win against Palestine last game as he registered 19 points and 8 rebounds. Ahmad Al-Dwairi added 16.

Main big man Mo Alsuwailem, on the other hand, led KSA with 17 points and 9 rebounds in the defeat. They concluded the window with a 1-1 record.

Iraq weather Palestine

Iraq avoided a late-game collapse and survived Palestine, 75-72, to chalk up their first win of these Qualifiers at the Prince Hamza Sport Hall in Amman, Jordan.

The crew already held a 75-68 lead with 18 seconds to go but nearly squandered such when the opposing crew got to within three, and even had a chance to slice the gap further when Jamal Malayi got fouled on his attempt from the baseline with three seconds left.

Fortunately for the Iraqi side, he missed both of his free throws, and they went on to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the team split their assignments in Window 1.

Demario Mayfield flirted with a triple-double as he tallied 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists to lead Iraq. Ihab Al-Zuhairi had a big double-double with 20 and 11.

Mayali, meanwhile, had 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead Palestine, who ended the window with an 0-2 card. Calvin Godfrey had 18 points in the loss.

Cedars blow past Bahrain

Lebanon turned it up in the second half and dealt Bahrain a 94-63 beating at the Stade Nouhad Nawfal in Zouk Mikael to become the only unbeaten team in Group F thus far.

Their near-collapse against Syria last game totally behind them, the Cedars began to break away late in the third quarter and continued the onslaught in the final chapter, making sure to finish the game strongly to eventually finish the window with a clean 2-0 record.

Wael Arakji led the pack with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hayk Gyokchyan delivered a full line of 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a block. Ali Mansour supplied 13 points while Gerard Hadidian finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Mosti Rashed led Bahrain with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists as they dropped to 1-1. Wayne Chism backed him up with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the defeat.

Check out the full standings after Window 1 here!

FIBA