©Photo from Beirut Club’s Instagram account
After beating Beirut twice (73-65, 67-49) in the Women’s D1 finals, Riyadi met with the same team in the third and potential last game of the season on the 3rd of March. After a great defensive display by Beirut in their stadium, Chiyah Forum, the game ended 62-56 in their favor, making it 2-1 for Riyadi in the series.
The starting players for Beirut were: Aida Bakhos, Melody Saneh, Miramar El Mokdad, Maygan Simmons, and Jocelyn Geara. As for Riyadi, coach Omar Turk went for Rebecca Akl, Gabriela Abi Saad, Chirine Al Charif, Meghry Torossian, and Angela Tompkins.
The game was inaugurated with two consecutive 3-pointers by Beirut through Maygan Simmons, which represented a statement by the home team, which didn’t want to give up just yet after going down 2-0 in the series. While Beirut were shooting efficiently from the three-point line, Riyadi were clearly more dominant in the paint. The quarter ended 21–14 for Beirut, which benefited from many Riyadi mistakes during the first period.
Early in the second quarter, Riyadi were able to reduce the deficit by 7 points. The team picked up on their momentum and were back in the game in the space of two minutes following an 8-0 run (21-22). Maygan Simmons then turned up to create and extend Beirut’s advantage to 5 points after a 3-pointer and an “and one” shot. She then scored again from the arc to give Beirut a much-needed 7-point lead. The quarter eventually ended 39-37 for Beirut, with still all to play in the second half.
As Beirut were the better team in the first half but only led by two points, the home team still had a lot to do to prevent Riyadi from taking Game 3 and therefore the whole championship. Beirut had to expectably rely on Maygan Simmons, while Riyadi had to stay composed to see this game out.
With both teams trying to get better on the defensive end to avoid costly mistakes, the third quarter started slowly. The Riyadi defense forced tough shots and gradually secured a pivotal 8-point lead halfway through the quarter. As some injuries hit Beirut, it was looking increasingly difficult for the team, which desperately needed the win to stay in the competition. They eventually cut into Riyadi’s lead with a couple minutes to go. Beirut then concluded the quarter with Maygan Simmons’ sixth three-pointer of the match and another bucket (54-49).
As Beirut’s lead fluctuated many times during the match, the team aimed for more stability amid Riyadi’s threats. While Simmons was getting triple-teamed at times, the match remained a four-point game, with both teams capable of taking the win. However, Beirut had the upper hand in this fourth quarter, as the score was 60-52 with a few minutes left, while Riyadi had a hard time scoring. The game ended 62-56 for Beirut, which managed to stay in the series after a physical and defensive game.
Beirut was able to hold Riyadi to 56 points in this match after conceding 73 and 67 points in the first two games. Their organized and effective defensive performance landed them a crucial win in the finals. The winners will head to Al Manara on the 4th of March to play the fourth game of the series.
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