JOIN USDiminishing India's hopes of progressing to the second round, Lebanon notched up a thumping 90-50 win in their Group C fixture of the FIBA World Cup Asian basketball qualifiers at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
Lebanon, having defeated India in the first window of the qualifiers, always had an upper hand as they kept stretching their advantage as the match progressed. Hosts compounded their woes by wrong passes and inaccurate throws from distance, marking an overall lacklustre display.
Centre Ater Majok shone for Lebanon with a game-high 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Sudan-born player was devastating in the second period, scoring 15 points to destroy whatever hopes the hosts had of making a comeback. Power forward Bassel Bawji too made his presence felt, with 16 points and five rebounds.
For India, point guard Joginder Singh emerged as the top-performer with 14 points and five assists. Skipper Satnam Singh Bhamara, who was largely kept quiet by the stern Lebanese defence, got 12 points.
India began with a lot of energy and aggression, securing a brief 10-7 lead on the back of veteran Yadwinder Singh and Justin Joseph's three-pointers and Satnam's good work inside the paint. But Lebanon cranked up their level of play and took control of the game thereafter. Captain Jean Adb El Nour and shooting guard Amir Saoud were a constant threat for the home team, who found it tough to deal with their fast-paced attacks. At the end of the first quarter, Lebanon led 22-16.
The real damage though was done in the second 10 minutes as it has so often been the case for the hosts. Struggling to keep up with the quick-footed Lebanese, India found themselves trailing by 11 points (32-21) midway through the second quarter.
Saoud continued his scoring spree, adding three more three-pointers to his personal tally. Bassel too showed his class from the distance, scoring two three-pointers as the visitors romped to a 47-25 lead at half-time.
Lebanon turned up the heat after the break and gave no room for the hosts to stage a fightback. Majok's dominance inside the paint and Wael Arakji's trickery caused a plenty of trouble. Five minutes into the third quarter, Lebanon led 55-34. Joginder's two three-pointers cut the deficit for a small period but the visitors kept the scoreboard ticking to finish the quarter comfortably on top at 68-37.
The last 10 minutes were a mere formality as a tired and demoralised Indians watched helplessly as Lebanon widened the lead and galloped to victory.
Having clinched their second win of the window and third overall, Lebanon are placed second in their group behind Jordan, while India, without a win from four games, are on the verge of getting booted out of the competition.
Results: India: 50 (Joginder Singh 14, Satnam Singh 12) lost to Lebanon: 90 (Ater Majok 17, Amir Saoud 16, Bassel Bawji 16, Wael Arakji 13).