As sub-zone title hopes end, Sagesse set sights on Final 8

ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Sagesse head coach Jad El Hajj had nothing much to offer after witnessing their FIBA WASL-West Asia title hopes get crushed, Wednesday night.

The veteran mentor could only concede after the crew bowed to Wael Arakji and Al Riyadi in the do-or-die Game 3 of the Semi-Final affair between the Lebanese rivals.

"Simply and shortly, the better team won tonight. They were much better than us," he said during the postgame presser of their 86-65 loss at the Stade Nouhad Nawfal.

Downcast was El Hajj when he faced reporters alongside veteran guard Jonathan Gibson, and no one can put them at fault for feeling that way for how the series concluded.

The first two games were decided by just three points, with Game 2 needing an extra period to determine the winner as the Green Castle forced overtime and eventually took the 109-106 win not just to deal Al Riyadi their first loss of the season but to drag them to a do-or-die.

Game was then expected to become a dogfight once more but the opposite happened. Sagesse failed to sustain a hot 10-0 start into the game, losing the lead just before the first quarter ended as the crew fueled by 8,000 fans in attendance ended the period with a 19-5 assault.

Things would turn from bad to worse for El Hajj's wards. Al Riyadi began to take control of the game in the second period, and then broke away for good in the third canto to eventually book a return trip to the Final for a chance to repeat against Shahrdary Gorgan.

"Honestly, the first two games were much better," admittedly said the youthful bench tactician. "The first game was only three points, the second game went into overtime,"

Turnovers hurt Sagesse a lot as they committed 17 while the other team only had 8. For El Hajj, it's a big no-no especially for a team that's playing on the road.

"We had 17 turnovers. We know when we play away we have to focus more," said the Lebanese men's national team chief mentor, whose team trailed by as many as 27 points.

As crushing as the loss was, Sagesse still has a chance to reach the FIBA WASL Final 8. They will face Al Shorta next week in the Third-Place Game, where the winner will become the third team from the West Asia League after the finalists to reach the league's culminating event.

That's where their sights are now locked in.

"Now, we have to put the game behind us. Next Wednesday we will play the Iraqi team on our court. We have to focus. We have to get that win to make it to the Final 8," said El Hajj. "We still have a chance next week. Hopefully we make it."

FIBA