WASL Super League - Edition 1/2006

Starters:     Paul Khoury - Joe Ghattas - Jerod Ward - Fady Khatib - Kenny Satterfield
Substitutes: Elie Mechantaf - Bassem Balaa - George Chibani - Robert Boudagher
 

Building on a firm defensive performance, Sagesse club of Lebanon grabbed top spot of WASL's group A and went through to the quarterfinals following a convincing triumph over Iranian club Sanam in Teheran. The game that stayed a close contest for the greater part of its course, saw Sagesse in full command when it mattered the most, in the last quarter.

A quintet composed of Kenny Satterfield, Joe Ghattas, Fadi Khatib, Jerrod Ward and Paul Khoury got the coach's nod to start the game, and duly applied Dragan Raca's instructions to emphasize on defence. With Fadi Khatib keeping Danny Johnson at bay and Paul Khoury's towering presence dominating the defensive rebounds, it became problematical for the Iranians to impose their rhythm. Moreover, Sagesse relied on low-post penetrations to destabilize Sanam and with Ward hitting a couple of three-pointers, Sagesse deservedly ended the first quarter leading 19-14.

Team captain Elie Mechantaf, Bassem Balaa and George Chibani made their appearance in the second quarter. Nonetheless, the coach swiftly spotted an obvious difficulty offensively and called for a timeout, following which Kenny Satterfield and Paul Khoury re-entered to the field. Then again, Raca's measures gave little effect as his lads were still out-of-system when Sanam built a 5-point lead. These woes proved short-lived and Sanam's efforts were toppled by a late 9-0 run by the Greens who headed to the interval leading 36-32.

The two teams were left to battle in the third quarter but with nothing to choose between them during long stages. Emphasis on defence was still the game's main characteristic given that Sanam's top performers Carter and Johnson as well as Sagesse's best marksmen Satterfield, Khatib and Ward were uncharacteristically quiet. Unlikely heroes Asghar of Sanam and Chibani of Sagesse provided their teams with the needed offensive impulse in a quarter that ended with 51-49 scoreline.

Slowly but surely the Lebanese team got the upper hand in the fourth quarter as a result of a neatly-executed zone defence. With Sanam's low-post danger man Carter held off and their outside play being ineffective, Sagesse's Ward and Khatib took responsibility to score points and effectively terminate Sanam's resistance. Danny Johnson's tardy heroics from behind-the-arc and Khatib's dismissal for fouling out did little to change the game's outcome and Sagesse wrapped up the victory with a 73-65 final score.

Sagesse will now meet Fastlink of Jordan in the quarter finals of the superleague in a two-legged encounter. 

-Some stats:
  * Jerod Ward: 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
  * Fadi Khatib: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
  * Kenny Satterfield: 9 points, 1 rebound, 7 assists
  * Paul Khoury : 3 points, 12 rebounds
  * George Chibani: 9 points, 1 steal
  * Elie Mechantaf: 2 points, 1 steal, 1 assist
  * Joe Ghattas: 2 points