Dubai International Tournament - 16th Edition 2005 - Al Ahli Stadium

Starters: Elie Mechantaf - Bassem Balaa - Charles Bardawil - George Chibani - Samir Gouda
Substitutes:  Kenny Satterfield - Sabah Khoury - Paul Khoury - Jon Ferris - Joe Mansour
                   Joe Ghattas - Marwan Hajj

A powerful start for the 1st game of Sagesse restored and lifted team in the Dubai 2005 tournament. Playing tight one on one defense alternating with box and one around their remarkable center -2.16- Samir Gouda, Sagesse was leading 9-2 when Al Jalaa coach asked for a timeout. Gouda with 6 points had already drawn 3 fouls and was of great help in this 1st quarter.
After the timeout, Al Jalaa shifted to court press and were better on the rebounds, reducing the score to 13-12. Taylor pushed Satterfield and Sabah Khoury, replacing Chibani and Bardawil who was suffering from the height mismatch.
Very soon, Satterfield steals and speed made the difference and Sagesse was leading again 17-14. The 1st quarter ended 20-14 to Sagesse.

Mechantaf was the first to score in the 2nd quarter for Sagesse with a 3 pointer after a 0-4 run to Al Jalaa. Taylor started the quarter with the 2 Khourys, Bardawil, Mechantaf and Ferris. Although leading the score, Sagesse was mostly scoring from the outbox while benefiting from many steals and Al Jalaa turnovers. Defensively, there was a lack on the center position in spite of Paul Khoury’s presence, and Al Jalaa was scoring under the basket some easy balls through Chalabi in spite of his mismatch disadvantage facing Sagesse center.
At 28-25, Taylor asked for a timeout but didn’t change his squad, and for about 2 minutes the score was idle, until the boys found the breach in Al Jalaa’s defense and made a 4-0 run. Taylor pushed back Gouda in the game; he drew another foul on Al Jalaa import and Sagesse ex-center Corey Louis and scored, raising the count to 34-25 and ending the 2nd quarter with a 9 point lead. Outshining all the others players in both teams, captain Mechantaf was the best scorer with 10 points and the best rebounder with 8 rebounds at halftime.

Mechantaf, Satterfield, Bardawil, Balaa and Gouda started the 3rd quarter with fast breaks and speed play, which suit Sagesse system much. Soon the score rose to 45-27 with Mechantaf, Gouda and Satterfield. Balaa did his 3rd foul and was replaced by Joe Mansour, while Sagesse was playing zone defense and Al Jalaa was trying a man to man defense with Louis closely watching and trying to stop Gouda’s strong performance.

But it was the evershining captain Mechantaf who was leading the game and his team in a perfect way, still playing since the game started, defending, grabbing rebounds, penetrating, scoring, and drawing fouls. Halfway through the 3rd quarter, at 50-29, Taylor decided to rest his captain and Gouda, Mansour, Sabah Khoury, Bardawil and Satterfield were playing when Al Jalaa had a 4-0 run. Taylor asked for a timeout at 50-33 but did not change his lineup. They tried to play rotating ball on the outer ring with Gouda waiting on the inside, with no clear player on the position 1.
Mechantaf returned to the game replacing Bardawil with Satterfield playing on position 1. Sagesse was clearly loosening its grip on the game and Al Jalaa made a strong comeback, reducing the gap to 10 points at 1 minute left to the 3rd quarter.
Satterfield was replaced by Chibani on the position 1 and Ferris replaced Mansour. Khoury sank a 3 pointer after Ferris 2 points, sealing the 3rd quarter at 59-45. Clearly a very offensive quarter with 25 points scored by Sagesse against 20 by Al Jalaa.

The 2 Khourys, Chibani, Ferris and Mechantaf started the last quarter. Al Jalaa with nothing more to lose was trying to push on the offense, but they were faced by a tough and tight defense. Sabah and Mechantaf scored 2 consecutive 3 pointers, raising the score to 65-49. Louis fouled against Paul Khoury, and clearly the one on one between Gouda, Khoury and Louis was to the benefit of Sagesse centers.
Ferris was scoring on the inside and from the outer ring, getting more involved in the game and starting to synchronize with his team. 70-49 and Al Jalaa coach was asking for a timeout.

There was nothing much that could be done by Al Jalaa at this stage, and Sagesse players were almost constantly fouled under the basket. At 4 minutes left, the score was 74-51 and Chibani on position 1 was cooling the game. Taylor asked Mechantaf on the bench under the cheering of the crowd with Satterfield replacing him.
It was show time for the players, and rotation time for Taylor who replaced Sabah Khoury with Joe Ghattas, Jon Ferris by Joe Mansour and Paul Khoury by Marwan Hajj. A big credit to the rotation system and player management applied by Taylor throughout the game. With 2 minutes left to the final buzzer, the score rose to 80-51.
Bardawil, Mansour, Hajj, Ghattas and Satterfield were playing the last minute.
The score froze at 88-58, Sagesse won its 1st game in Dubai tournament with captain Mechantaf voted game's MVP. A good start while readying for tomorrow’s game against the Emirates selection.