Zamboanga’s struggles in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship continued on Sunday evening (Manila time), as they suffered a 107-84 defeat to Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli, dropping to 0-2 at Al Nasr Club.
Coming off a 97-82 loss to Emirati club Al Sharjah in their tournament opener, the Valientes were once again overpowered.
Zamboanga started strong, with Sam Deguara and Adonis Thomas leading the way to an early 36-19 lead in the second quarter.
However, Al Ahly quickly gained momentum, launching a 32-8 blitz over a span of seven minutes to take a 51-44 lead.
From that point on, it was all Al Ahly, as they stretched their advantage to as much as 23 points, improving to 2-0 in Group B.
(C) UAE Basketball
Deguara finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Thomas added 24 points.
Nic Cabanero provided a bright spot for the Valientes, scoring 14 points in 19 minutes of play.
Zamboanga will look to bounce back when they face Sagesse on Wednesday at 1 a.m.
Mohamed Sadi led Al Ahly Tripoli with 25 points, while Wuat Alok posted a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Scores:
Al Ahly Tripoli – 107 – Sadi 25, Alok 24, Badrush 19, Yak 17, Jackson 11, Buzgaiya 6, Dawo 5, Saeed 0, Aboufardah 0, Abdrahim 0.
Zamboanga 84 – Deguara 25, Thomas 24, Cabanero 14, Tolomia 8, Padrigao 5, Caperal 3, McCarthy 3, Diouf 2, Lingganay 0, Jimenez 0, Holmqvist 0.
Quarterscores: 28-19, 51-44, 77-66, 107-84.
