JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Ittihad Club began their 2024/2025 FIBA West Asia Super League campaign on the right foot following an 86-64 beatdown of Al Arabi SC in a battle between debutants, Tuesday night at the Green Basketball Court.
Game heroes: Antwan Scott starred in the victory with a game-high 30 points, 18 of which he made in the first half as he powered the home team's strong start for an eventual 50-32 advantage entering the break, setting the tone for the lopsided affair.
Scott shot an efficient 10-of-14 from the field, including a 5-of-8 clip from beyond the arc, and also hauled down 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in 32 minutes.
Suleiman Braimoh came through with 20 points, including 11 in the first half as well, and 8 rebounds, which he laced with a pair of steals and a block.
Osama Albargawi supplied 10 points as he and Nasser Alabsi returned to the WASL stage on a winning note. The two were part of the Al Hilal team that competed in the 2022-23 inaugurals, helping the club reach the Gulf League Semi-Finals.
Makur Maker also chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds as the cousin of WASL's first-ever MVP Thon Maker ensured a triumphant league debut for himself.
Turning point: Ittihad were leading by only nine points about four minutes into the second period, until Scott and Braimoh joined hands for a blistering 16-2 scoring spree to close the chapter with the aforementioned advantage.
Momentum would never leave their side since, so much so that the lead ballooned to as big as 28 points, 73-45, following a split by Albargawi late in the third.
Stats don't lie: Ittihad shot 44.2-percent from the floor but it was their dominance on the boards that spelled the difference. They collected 44 rebounds, which was 16 more than what Al Arabi did as they clearly capitalized on the size discrepancy.
FIBA