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3. Basketball: Hoops Upsets Beirut Club and Ends Their Unbeaten Run

The surprise came from Rockland Arena, where Hoops’ youngsters brought down the leader in overtime. Beirut Club, undefeated until then, saw its streak abruptly ended by a fearless team carried by a blazing Albert English.

It had to happen one day. After 11 consecutive wins, Beirut Club finally fell. And it was Hoops’ young squad who pulled off the feat, handing the men of Jad al-Hajj their first loss of the season (94-88 OT), during an electric clash in the 12th round of the Lebanese first division basketball championship.
The clash, held in the overheated den of Rockland Arena, looked like a done deal after three quarters controlled by the champions of the first phase. Beirut was leading the dance (21-19, 20-16, 24-17), and the case seemed closed. But that was before Hoops’ incredible uprising in crunch time.

A Fatal Fourth Quarter
Sluggish for three periods, Jad al-Chayeb’s squad came alive in the final quarter, inflicting a stinging 23-10 on an unrecognizable Beirut. The leading team, missing its captain Ali Haidar who got injured early in the game, cracked under pressure. With just seconds left before the buzzer, Sergio al-Darwich snatched the tie (75-75) with a clutch shot, forcing an overtime with an uncertain outcome.
But the momentum was clearly on the home side. Boosted by a fired-up crowd and a red-hot Albert English (41 points, 6 assists, 3 steals), Hoops kept up their momentum to seal their sixth victory of the season (19-13 in overtime).

English on Fire, Beirut out of Gas
Beyond English, flawless in composure and leadership, Dikembe Dixon (20 points, 6 rebounds) and the Jean-Marc Ghorra – Abed Sabbagh duo provided valuable support. As a team, Hoops dominated in assists (20) and defensive intensity (11 steals, 4 blocks).
On the other side, Beirut tried to respond through its trio Ledo-Darwich-Khoury (respectively 26, 21 and 19 points), and a hyperactive Mazloum in distribution (9 assists), but the fourth-quarter collapse proved fatal.

Shaken Standings
With this major victory, Hoops provisionally climbs to 4th place (18 points), while Beirut still holds the top spot in the standings (23 points), but sees its leader’s armor seriously cracked.
The 12th round continued Tuesday early evening with the Antonins Baabda defeating Antranik (86-78), an important win in the race for playoff spots.