Players battling for the ball.

DUBAI, Sept 28: Kuwait Club claimed an 88-83 victory over Lebanon’s Antonine Club in the second round of Group B at the 37th Arab Basketball Championship. The tournament is being hosted by Al-Nasr Club in the UAE at Rashid bin Hamdan Hall and runs until October 7. In Group A, Qadsia narrowly fell to host Al-Nasr (UAE) 88-91.

Kuwait Club opened the championship with a 72-76 loss to Libya’s Ahli Tripoli, while Qadsia had beaten Syria’s Homs Al-Fidaa 88-77. On the third day, Homs Al-Fidaa defeated Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout 100-81, and Ahli Tripoli overcame Bahrain’s Manama 103-73.

The tournament begins with a league-style first round, after which all teams advance to the round of 16. The top team in Group A faces the fourth team in Group B, the second plays the third, and the same applies for Groups C and D. Winners then progress to the quarterfinals.

Kuwait Club started strongly to recover from its opening defeat, leading 21-19 after the first quarter. The Whites maintained control in the second quarter despite attempts from Antonine to close the gap, ending the half 48-39. The third quarter saw both sides trading points, but Kuwait Club held a steady lead at 68-60.

Despite a late push from Antonine, Kuwait Club sealed the match 88-83. American import Charlie Moore led the team with 22 points.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff