- 10:25
Kickoff Saturday night for the 2025–2026 season: Alen Abaz’s Club Sportif Mariste Champville wins from the start (98–95) on the court of Ralph Akl’s Club Antonin, at the end of a thrilling opening match.
New season, same thrills. The Lebanese Basketball Championship, the premier competition of local sport, restarts on high grounds with packed arenas, reshaped rosters and stated ambitions. Behind the usual heavyweights (Riyadi, La Sagesse, Beirut SC, Homenetmen), outsiders claim their share of the spotlight — Champville sets the tone from the first buzzer.
Opening Match: Club Antonin – Maristes Champville 95–98
Champville did not falter to launch its campaign. The Maristes led the score almost all the way (26–23, 48–45, 77–69), without ever opening a decisive gap, before containing Club Antonin’s comeback in a suffocating finish. Alen Abaz’s squad imposed its pace for a long time, but things got complicated when Stedmon Lemon missed four consecutive free throws in the money-time, giving the home team a chance to turn the game around. No consequence: Antonin’s final attempt fell short and Champville closed the door at +3.
Continuous Intensity, Minimal Margin
A clean, rhythmic arm-wrestle: rebounds neck-and-neck (34 for Antonin, 33 for Champville), ball distribution (24 assists vs. 23), mirrored defenses. The difference lies in the “small” actions that weigh heavy: 7 Maristes steals (vs 3) that break local sequences and trigger easy points, and consistent shooting in key moments of the 3rd quarter.
Leaders and Stat Lines
For Champville, Henry Sims delivered a captain’s performance (24 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists), supported by Stedmon Lemon (21 points, 6 assists) despite his free-throw scare, and by Javion Blake (12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists). Reliable lieutenants: Marc Abi Kheirs (10 points, 6 rebounds) and the trio Ali Mahmoud, Jimmy Salem and Hady El-Khatib (9 points each).
On the other side, Antonin relied on a sharp Ricky Ledo (22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) and a precise Glen Cosey (20 points, 7 assists). Marc Khoury (14 points, 6 rebounds), Clint Chapman (14 points) and Patrick Bou Abboud (11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) kept the flame alive, with support from Miguel Martinez (9 points).
Context and Stats That Speak
This victory is a reminded that the head-to-head decisively favors the Maristes. Their streak remains “perfect” against Antonin in D1 — now 9 wins in 9 encounters — enough to immediately set a positive dynamic in a rarely forgiving early-season schedule.
J1 Continues Today
The first round continues today, Sunday, then Monday and Tuesday:
Sunday (16:45): Beirut SC – NSA
Sunday (21:00): Centrale – Antranik
Monday (16:45): Riyadi – Tadamon Harajel (Mayrouba)
Monday (20:30): Homenetmen – Hoops
Tuesday (16:45): La Sagesse – Batroun
What It Says About the Future
Champville ticks essential boxes from the first game: cohesion, rim impact, reading weak moments. Free-throw adjustments in clutch moments will need monitoring, but the foundation is there. Antonin leaves frustrated but not broken: offensive identity exists, rotation holds up, and the ability to fight back in the 4th quarter suggests brighter days ahead. The season has just begun — and J1, which continues tonight through Tuesday, already promises an exciting battle.
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