Sagesse ended Zamboanga’s hopes of advancing in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship with a decisive 90-65 wire-to-wire victory on Wednesday morning (Manila time) at the Shabab Al Ahli Club.
The Valientes, a team hastily assembled just a week before departing for Dubai, endured their third consecutive blowout loss, with an average losing margin of 25.33 points per game.
This matchup against Sagesse marked Zamboanga’s most lopsided defeat of the tournament.
Shabazz Muhammad spearheaded the Lebanese club’s onslaught, scoring the game’s first eight points and setting the tone for a dominant performance. Muhammad finished with an impressive 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting, along with eight rebounds.
Sagesse maintained control throughout, holding a commanding 46-24 lead at halftime. The Lebanese squad stretched their advantage to as much as 28 points in the fourth quarter before easing up for the final 17-point margin.
Adonis Thomas and Prince Caperal were bright spots for the Valientes, contributing 18 points each. Meanwhile, Nic Cabanero added eight points, and Malick Diouf grabbed 10 rebounds in the losing effort.
Ahmad Ali Ibrahim and Gerard Hadidan chipped in 11 points apiece for Sagesse, complementing Muhammad’s stellar outing.
Zamboanga will conclude its campaign with a challenging matchup against Tunisia tonight at 9:00 PM (Manila time).
The Scores:
Sagesse 90 – Muhammad 32, Hadidan 11, Ibrahim 11, Thomas 9, Jamal-Aldin 8, Khalil 7, Lofton 6, Abdel Massih 5, Khoueiry 1, Kheres 0, Nakhle 0.
Zamboanga 65 – Thomas 18, Caperal 18, Deguara 9, Cabanero 8, Padrigao 5, Diouf 4, Jimenez 2, McCarthy 0, Lingganay 0.
Quarterscores: 26-8, 46-24, 67-50, 90-65.
