Superleague Round 11 (Regular Season): Al Ahly lose to Al Ittihad Al.

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Al Ahly (6-1) in Cairo on Friday night. Hosts were defeated by Al Ittihad Al. (7-0) 81-69. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Al Ahly C.. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Al Ittihad Al. made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Al Ahly helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Mohamed Abdelrahman (184-1996) who scored 29 points and 7 assists. The former international power forward Mostafa Kejo (204-1994, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 13 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists. The former international center Omar Oraby (218-1991, college: USC) produced a double-double by scoring 23 points and 15 rebounds (perfect from the field making all nine shots !!!) for the hosts. Al Ahly C.'s coach Linos Gavriel rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Undefeated Al Ittihad Al. have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Defending champion Al Ahly dropped to the third place with one game lost.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Canal (7-1) against sixth ranked Olympic (5-3) on Sunday night. Visiting Canal was defeated by Olympic in Alexandria 65-53. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Canal. Mohamed Gaber orchestrated the victory by scoring 10 points and 8 rebounds. Hatem Behiry contributed with 7 points and 6 assists for the winners. American guard Madarious Gibbs (185-1993, college: Texas Southern) answered with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for Canal. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Olympic. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Heliopolis. Canal at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the second position with one game lost.
Petrojet can celebrate finally their first win this season after five consecutive losses. They used home court advantage to defeat Sporting (2-6) 80-77 on Friday. It was a great evening for Ayman Chawkat who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Ahmed Rehan responded with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Petrojet (1-5) left bottom position moving up to fifteenth place. It was Sporting's sixth loss in a row. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Al Shams.

Other games of round 11 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Al Gezira was defeated by Smouha in a road game 80-79. Zamalek was beaten by WE Sporting at home 77-88. Al Zohour won against Heliopolis on the opponent's court 73-72. Al Shams managed to outperform Damanhour in a home game 70-64. Al Geish rolled over Aviation on the road 77-48.
The best stats of 11th round was 13 points by Amr Kareem of Al Geish.



Al Ahly C. - Al Ittihad Al. 69-81

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Al Ahly (6-1) in Cairo on Friday night. Hosts were defeated by Al Ittihad Al. (7-0) 81-69. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Al Ahly C.. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Al Ittihad Al. made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Al Ahly helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Mohamed Abdelrahman (184-1996) who scored 29 points and 7 assists. The former international power forward Mostafa Kejo (204-1994, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 13 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists. The former international center Omar Oraby (218-1991, college: USC) produced a double-double by scoring 23 points and 15 rebounds (perfect from the field making all nine shots !!!) and international Amr Alaa Zahran (191-2001) added 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals respectively for the hosts. Al Ahly C.'s coach Linos Gavriel rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Al Ittihad Al. have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Defending champion Al Ahly dropped to the third place with one game lost.
Top scorers:
Al Ahly C.: O.Oraby 23+15reb, Z.Amr Alaa 16+5reb+4ast, Z.Ibrahim 8+4reb+2ast, S.Seif 7+6reb+1ast, H.Mohammed 5+4reb+5ast, T.Moemen 4+2reb+2ast
Al Ittihad Al.: M.Abdelrahman 29+1reb+7ast, K.Mostafa 13+17reb+4ast, Y.Aboushousha 10, J.Pierre 9+2reb+3ast, M.Anas 8+6reb+1ast, Y.Yasser 8+4reb+3ast

Petrojet - Sporting 80-77

Petrojet can celebrate finally their first win this season after five consecutive losses. They used home court advantage to defeat Sporting (2-6) 80-77 on Friday. It was a great evening for Ayman Chawkat who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. American-Palestinian Kyndall Dykes (192-1987, college: New Orleans, agency: Slash Sports) helped adding 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Dykes is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. The former international forward Ahmed Rehan (195-2003) responded with 26 points and 5 rebounds and Ahmed El Selaawi produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds. Four Sporting players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Petrojet (1-5) left bottom position moving up to fifteenth place. It was Sporting's sixth loss in a row. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Al Shams.
Top scorers:
Sporting: R.Ahmed 26+5reb+2ast, E.Selaawi Ahmed 11+11reb+1ast, A.Yassen 11+5reb+2ast, M.Ibrahim 10+2reb+3ast, A.Hassan 6+6reb+1ast, Y.Mohamed 6+8reb
Petrojet: A.Chawkat 27+6reb+5ast, D.Kyndall 19+6reb+6ast, O.Mohamed 8+11reb+1ast, Z.Ali 7+1reb, Y.Elgabry 6+4reb+1ast, A.Elsabbagh 5+1reb

Smouha - Al Gezira 80-79

There was a minor upset when 8th ranked Al Gezira (3-4) was edged on the road by eleventh ranked Smouha (3-4) 80-79 on Friday. Smouha made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for American point guard Jay Threatt (180-1989, college: Delaware St.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 14 assists. The former international swingman Ebrahem Khaled (191-1989) helped adding 22 points. Four Smouha players scored in double figures. American guard Cleveland Thomas (192-1993, college: WKU, agency: Slash Sports) responded with 15 points and Ahmed Samy scored 16 points. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Smouha moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Al Gezira and WE Sporting.
Top scorers:
Al Gezira: S.Ahmed 16+2ast, C.Thomas 15+4reb+2ast, E.Omar 9+3reb+5ast, E.Abdelfadil 8+7reb, W.Mohmaed 7+3ast, S.Zeyad 7+1reb+4ast
Smouha: E.Khaled 22+3reb+1ast, T.Jay 21+1reb+14ast, M.Mohamed 14+3reb+1ast, A.Khanka 11+9reb+1ast, Y.Abdrabou 4+3reb+2ast, R.Elsafany 4+2reb+1ast

Zamalek - WE Sporting 77-88

There was a surprise result in Cairo where eleventh ranked WE Sporting (3-4) defeated higher ranked Zamalek (3-3) 88-77 on Friday. WE Sporting looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for the former international center Hamad Fathy (225) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 15 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Omar Attia (189-1997) helped adding 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Five WE Sporting players scored in double figures. International Khaled Abdelgawad (204-1999) responded with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international Youssef Helmy (184-2001) scored 12 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. WE Sporting moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Al Gezira and Smouha. Loser Zamalek dropped to the seventh position with three games lost.
Top scorers:
Zamalek: A.Khaled 27+11reb+5ast, H.Youssef 12+2reb+7ast, C.Early 11+3reb+1ast, H.Omar 8+4reb+3ast, Y.Ahmed 7+3reb+3ast, A.Mohab 7+7reb+4ast
WE Sporting: A.Khalid 17+4reb+3ast, K.Brown 16+1reb+3ast, O.Attia 14+10reb+5ast, H.Fathy 13+15reb+2ast, A.Omar 12+5reb+7ast, M.Alzurayqi 6+2reb

Heliopolis - Al Zohour 72-73

There was an upset in Cairo where higher ranked Heliopolis (5-3) were edged by twelfth ranked Al Zohour (3-5) 73-72 on Sunday. Al Zohour dominated down low during the game scoring 46 of its points in the paint compared to Heliopolis' 26. It was a great evening for Yousef Thabet who led his team to a victory scoring 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Amr Emad helped adding 8 points and 12 rebounds. Mahmoud Shershaby responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists and Youssef Madaawy produced a double-double by scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Al Zohour moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Damanhour. Loser Heliopolis keep the fifth position with three games lost. They share it with Olympic.
Top scorers:
Heliopolis: M.Youssef 16+10reb+5ast, H.Gasser 16+6reb+1ast, S.Mahmoud 13+18reb+5ast, H.Abdelrhman 8+3reb+5ast, M.Mohanad 7+4reb+3ast, R.Ayman 5+4reb+1ast
Al Zohour: K.Hassan 15+3reb, Y.Thabet 12+5reb+5ast, M.Mohamed 11+4reb+1ast, A.Sami 11+1reb+7ast, A.Emad 8+12reb+1ast, S.Mounir 7+4reb

Al Shams - Damanhour 70-64

There was a surprise result in Cairo where fourteenth ranked Al Shams (2-6) beat higher ranked Damanhour (3-5) 70-64 on Sunday. Al Shams looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for American guard Jervae Robinson (188-1998, college: WSU, agency: BIG) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds. The former international forward Mostafa Meshaal (200-1986) helped adding 17 points and 4 steals. point guard Sleem Elessawy (181-2002) responded with 9 points and 6 assists and Omar Karkoura scored 11 points. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Al Shams moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with Sporting. Loser Damanhour dropped to the eleventh position with five games lost. They share it with Al Zohour.
Top scorers:
Damanhour: E.Gritly Mostafa 11+2reb, K.Omar 11+2reb+2ast, E.Sleem 9+4reb+6ast, S.Mohamed 8+4reb+1ast, E.Hassan 7+2reb, E.Nahas Ahmed 5+1reb
Al Shams: M.Meshaal 17+2reb+3ast, R.Jervae 13+10reb+3ast, Y.Ahmed 12+4ast, O.Ghareeb 9+3reb+1ast, M.Nasser 6+5reb+7ast, A.Abdelaziz 6+8reb+2ast

Olympic - Canal 65-53

Very important is a road loss of second ranked Canal (7-1) against sixth ranked Olympic (5-3) on Sunday night. Visiting Canal was defeated by Olympic in Alexandria 65-53. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Canal. Olympic forced 19 Canal turnovers. Mohamed Gaber orchestrated the victory by scoring 10 points and 8 rebounds. The former international forward Hatem Behiry (196-1992) contributed with 7 points and 6 assists for the winners. American guard Madarious Gibbs (185-1993, college: Texas Southern) answered with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and Yemeni Mohamed Ezzat added 13 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Canal. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Olympic. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Heliopolis. Canal at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the second position with one game lost.
Top scorers:
Canal: E.Mohamed 13+6reb+3ast, M.Gibbs 10+8reb+6ast, A.Ziad 10+10reb, E.Mostafa 5+2reb+3ast, A.Islam 4+8reb+1ast, S.Ahmed 4+4reb+1ast
Olympic: A.Tripis 11+3reb+1ast, M.Gaber 10+8reb+1ast, P.Samb 9+1reb, Z.Fathy 8+3reb, A.Youssef 8+3reb+3ast, H.Behiry 7+3reb+6ast

Aviation - Al Geish 48-77

Not a big story in a game in Cairo where 15th ranked Aviation (1-7) was outplayed by fourth ranked Al Geish (5-1) 77-48 on Sunday. Al Geish dominated down low during the game scoring 40 of its points in the paint compared to Aviation's 20. They outrebounded Aviation 40-26 including 31 on the defensive glass. Al Geish looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists comparing to just 11 passes made by Aviation's players. It was a great evening for Emad Raafat who led his team to a victory scoring 10 points and 8 assists. Dawood Ramadan helped adding 13 points and 7 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Four Al Geish players scored in double figures. Gamal Hesham responded with 12 points and 4 assists and Yehya Saber scored 11 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the third consecutive win for Al Geish. They maintain fourth place with 5-1 record. Aviation lost their sixth game in a row. Newly promoted team dropped to the bottom position with seven games lost.
Top scorers:
Aviation: H.Gamal 12+4reb+4ast, S.Yehya 11+3reb+2ast, H.Mohamed 9+6reb, I.Abdallah 6+4reb, H.Yasser 4+2reb+2ast, O.Amr 3+3reb+2ast
Al Geish: A.Kareem 13+3reb+3ast, D.Ramadan 13+7reb, E.Raafat 10+3reb+8ast, D.Ziad 10+7reb+1ast, R.Mahmoud 8+6reb+3ast, A.Hatem 6+3reb+3ast