- 13:30
Packed house in Zouk Mikaël, big-game tension, and a classic that flipped late: Riyadi tamed Sagesse 87-80, earning a second win in two games to temporarily move to the top of the West Asia standings. Control in the closing minutes, accuracy at the right moment — the reigning champions move forward, quietly but efficiently.
The setting and the stakes
Organized by FIBA, the West Asia Super League (WASL) brings together the top clubs from West Asia and the Gulf in a home-and-away format leading to playoff series.
At the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex, Riyadi are defending their crown while Sagesse were looking to bounce back after a disappointing opener against Gorgan.
An ideal backdrop for a derby played in a feverish atmosphere.
A derby that turned on its head
Trailing by as many as 11 early in the second half, Riyadi hung in, clawed their way back, tied it at 74-74, then took the lead at 3:28 on a fearless three-pointer from Perrin Buford.
From there, Maurice Kemp and Ivan Buva locked down the key possessions, and the Yellow Castle replayed the same scenario as against Al-Wahda: composure, rebounding, and defensive stops when it mattered.
Buford–Kemp: the crunch-time duo
Man of the night, Buford finished with 23 points (14 in the fourth quarter alone), 6 rebounds, and a full stat line in 37 minutes.
Kemp added 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting plus 8 rebounds, steady in half-court play.
Around them, Hayk Gyokchyan chipped in 17 points with timely shooting, Ali Mansour orchestrated masterfully — 14 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals — while Buva contributed 10 points and 5 rebounds.
With this result, Riyadi now lead their WASL head-to-head with La Sagesse 8-1.
The Green response — without Tony Carr
On Sagesse’s side, Youssef Khayat led the charge (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists), Erick Green followed up strongly (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Ali Haidar (15 points) provided interior scoring, and Makur Maker posted a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds).
But the absence of Tony Carr — who had 20 points and 8 rebounds against Gorgan last week — weighed heavily in the final stretches: less playmaking under pressure, fewer options when Riyadi pushed the defensive line higher.
Words from the bench
“We’re going to build on this win — it’s very important, especially against our big rival,”
said Ahmad Farran, pleased with his team’s mental response.
“We’re a different team than in the past three years. We’re defending a title, everyone wants to beat us. It’s on us to live with that pressure and raise our level.”
The message matched what was seen on court: less flashy, more clinical — Riyadi are learning to win in a new way since Wael Arakji’s departure.
The Yellows off to a strong start
Two wins in a row to begin their title defense, and a clear offensive hierarchy forming around Buford and Kemp, with Mansour at the helm and solid role players stepping up.
La Sagesse, now 0-2, will need to turn its strong stretches into consistency and get its key pieces back to add punch in late-game situations.
The schedule is unforgiving: Riyadi stay the course, La Sagesse must react quickly.
We came for a derby and left with a reminder: in WASL, truth hits hard — you must know how to close games.
On Wednesday, Riyadi showed how it’s done.
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