DOHA (Qatar) - Flashbacks of their Window 1 encounter nine months ago occurred over at the side of Qatar when Iran pushed their highly-anticipated FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers rematch on Monday night into another overtime affair.
But the youth-laden squad made sure that it won't end in another heartbreak, displaying maturity beyond their years to eke out a dramatic 78-77 victory - much to the delight of the home fans at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall.
Mike Lewis II nailed the go-ahead lay-up with 6.4 seconds left to play off a strong drive to the cup, before the crew collectively forced Rasoul Mozafari to a crucial turnover with exactly three seconds left to regain the possession.
Team Melli had one last attempt to save themselves with 1.1 seconds left to play, but the cross-court inbound directed near the paint was deflected by Ndoye Seydou as time expired, and all of Team Qatar would erupt in jubilation afterward.
Not only did the squad get back at the Iranians for that stinging 76-74 OT defeat last February at the latter's own grounds at the Azadi Basketball Hall in Tehran, but they also ended a 19-year losing skid against the three-time Asia Cup champions.
The last time they beat their long-time tormentors was in the 2005 edition of the continental tilt, a convincing 79-58 victory during the Quarter-Final round.
Furthermore, Qatar stalled Iran's qualification to the 2025 Asia Cup as they dealt the latter their first loss after starting the Qualifiers with three straight wins.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 hosts, on the other hand, won both of their assignments this window - indeed an improvement after going 0-2 in Window 1.
"It was a big game for Qatar basketball," said head coach Hakan Demir, who beat the same team he mentored to the OT win in Window 1. "I'm proud of my players. This is a gift for everyone. My players showed their big heart. They never gave up."
Lewis led Qatar with 19 points. Seydou, on the other hand, finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds as he held his own against the more experienced frontline of Iran that featured the versatile Arsalan Kazemi and Salar Monji.
Tyler Harris continued his solid play in only his second game with the national team with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks without a turnover.
Moustafa Fouda added 12 as well despite a tough shooting night that saw him make just one of his six attempts from beyond the arc, although he nailed it during the most crucial of times as he made it during the extra period to keep them close.
"I'm very, very, very proud of every single person in this organization," said Fouda. "Everybody worked really hard the last month to prepare for this window."
Matin Aghajanpour, on the other hand, saw his efforts go to waste by the defeat as he led Iran with 31 points on an excellent 7-of-10 clip from three.
That included the booming trifecta he hit under duress with 6.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 68-all, eventually sending it into OT.
His shot appeared to have given the team momentum when Mohammad Amini and Sina Vahedi scored each for the 72-68 lead with 3:51 remaining in OT, but Qatar simply refused to fold as Harris and Lewis came through in the clutch.
"There were situations where they could have given up but they refused to lose," said Demir. "I'm really proud of my players. They really have a big heart."
Vahedi finished with 24 points and 6 assists, while the 19-year-old Amini added 10 points in the loss, which saw them commit a total of 21 turnovers.
FIBA