MUSCAT: Al Bashaer basketball team secured a well-deserved 62-32 victory over their rivals Nizwa, marking the opening of the Credit Oman Basketball Cup. The match which was held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bousher witnessed Al Bashaer’s clear dominance throughout the game, winning all four quarters.
The first quarter started strong by Al Bashaer as Osama al Riyami managed to open the scoring with two points after a fast attack. However, Nizwa responded quickly with a stunning three-pointer from Musab al Wahibi, making the score 3-2 in their favor. The teams exchanged points, with Al Bashayer adding four consecutive points through Osama al Riyami, reversing the score to 6-3. Nizwa attempted to narrow the gap, scoring six additional points through their players Hussein al Kindi, Akram al Rashdi, and Basil al Sabhi. But Al Bashaer ended the first quarter with a slight advantage of 11-9 after additional points from Haidar Beit Bakhit and Mahmoud al Suli.
The second quarter saw Al Bashaer’s performance escalate, starting strong with two consecutive three-pointers from Haidar Beit Bakhit and Osama al Riyami, widening the gap to 17-9. Nizwa tried to get back into the game and scored two points through Akram al Rashdi, but Al Bashaer players responded quickly with additional points through Osama al Riyami and Bassam al Busaeidi. Al Bashaer maintained control of the game, ending the first half with a comfortable lead of 29-15.
The third quarter was Al Bashaer’s most dominant, further strengthening their lead. Haidar Beit Bakhit scored two points at the beginning of the quarter, followed by additional points from Saeed al Saadi and Bassam al Busaeidi, extending the gap to 37-15. Nizwa found it difficult to penetrate Al Bashaer’s strong defense and managed to score only two points through Mohammed al Wahibi. Al Bashaer continued their organized attacks, ending the third quarter with a big lead of 47-19.
In the fourth quarter, Nizwa attempted to make a comeback, with Saif al Toubi scoring one point from a free throw, but Al Bashaer maintained their advantage by scoring two points through Saeed al Saadi from a free throw as well. Despite Nizwa's offensive efforts, Al Bashaer remained comfortably ahead, clinching the match with a resounding 62-32 victory.
The match was officiated by an international refereeing team led by Issam al Siyabi, assisted by international referee Thani al Khalasi and referee Taha al Amri, while Juma al Hanai, Mahmoud al Ajmi, and Hafidh Walad Ahmed managed the table.
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