ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Shabab Al Ahli caught the remaining Semi-Final ticket following a 93-87 victory over Tabiat to end the FIBA WASL Final 8 2025 Group Phase, Thursday night at the Stade Nouhad Naufal.
The defending WASL-Gulf League titlists built separation late in the third canto before finishing strongly on the way to clinching the second spot in Group B, eliminating Al Qadsia SC in the process.
With the triumph, the UAE League Basketball powerhouse has forged a showdown with reigning champions Al Riyadi, Group A's no. 1 team, in a rematch of last year's BCL Asia Final. Game time is at 17:45 local time.
"I think that we truly deserve to win this game. I'm very proud, with how tough the situation was, with how the guys reacted. I just can't congratulate my players enough," offered head coach Miodrag Perosic.
Chris Crawford top-scored for Shabab Al Ahli with 23 points on a 4-of-7 clip from beyond the arc, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Main man Qais Alshabebi, meanwhile, came through with 21 points and 5 rebounds.
Deshawndre Washington produced 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in a near triple-double performance that witnessed the lanky winger spearhead their third-quarter surge to put themselves ahead for good.
After Sina Vahedi tied things up at 65, 'D-Wash' converted a three-point play and went on to score seven in a 9-0 run - the other bucket courtesy of Alshabebi - to build a 74-65 lead to end the said chapter.
It was a stretch so harrowing for the WASL-West Asia League runners-up as they couldn't buy a bucket, with some of their shots going in and out of the rim while Washington himself got his tough layups to fall.
Tabiat did manage to regain their touch during the final frame when they got to within four twice within the game's last 3:21 behind the efforts of Perry Petty, but there was no stopping Shabab Al Ahli anymore.
Talal Alnuaimi got wide open at the corner and knocked down the triple to push their lead to 89-82 with 1:58 to go, before Washington hit back-to-back jumpers to silence the opposition once and for all.
Alnuaimi finished with 14 points - spiked by a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from three - as he was also crucial in their hot start, helping Alshabebi and the others in putting together a 20-9 lead to open the game.
"We came into this game with our backs against the wall," said Alshabebi. "It was win or go home. We reacted very well ... We did the best that we could, and we showed our [brand of] basketball."
Stedmon Lemon, on the other hand, led Tabiat with a game-high 25 points. Petty contributed 19 points, while Vahedi made 13 points. Arman Zangeneh chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds in the defeat.
Tabiat finished with a 1-1 record but still wound up as the top seed in Group B, and are bound to meet the no. 2 team in Group A in Sagesse in the Semi-Finals. Tip-off is scheduled at 20:45 local time.
FIBA
