Sharjah player dunks over a Kuwait Club player.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 19: Kuwait Club cruised past Sharjah of the UAE with a 115–81 victory at the Kuwait Basketball Federation Hall in the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. The win came in the third round of Group B action in the West Asia Super League (Gulf Zone), and it lifted “Al-Abyad” to the top of the table with five points, edging Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula on head-to-head results. Sharjah placed third with four points, while Qatar’s Al-Arabi settled for fourth, also on point-tie criteria.

Kuwait Club did not show its full power early on, with the first quarter ending narrowly in favor of Sharjah (19–18). But the hosts quickly took control in the second quarter, exploding for 39 points while shutting down Sharjah defensively, closing the half with a commanding 57–38 lead.

The defending Gulf Super League champion kept the momentum rolling after the break, producing 34 points in the third quarter. Serbian coach Dusan Stojkovic drew praise for his smart rotation and optimal use of imports Charlie Moore (28 points), Jamaal Jones (21 points), and France’s Joffrey Lauvergne (31 points), supported by a well-organized defense and the reliable contributions of national stars Hamad Adnan (14), Mohammed Adnan (6), Alexander Al-Ghais (11), and Turki Hamoud (3).

Kuwait Club maintained full control in the fourth quarter, giving Sharjah no chance to close the gap, adding 24 more points, while the visitors managed only 22. Sharjah’s standouts were Americans Glen Robinson (28), Kafale Williams (23), and Ahmed Al-Buraiki (18).

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff