26 May. 2017 – After going up 2-0 in the series, Homenetmen broke down to lose the series in 6 games, 4-2. There is no doubt losing their star player Fadi El Khatib to injury has affected them, yet a contending team needs to step up as a unit and they had everything needed to do so.
But, with Galloway and Jackson taking most of the shots and missing, the orange team lost the best chance they had at winning the title.
On the other hand, a team like Riyadi quickly capitalizes on any mistake the opponent commits and the momentum quickly shifted in their favor which led to a successful title defense.
Make no mistake, the absence of Fadi does not make Riyadi any less of deserving champions. They missed Wael Arakji for most of the season, faced Byblos without Branco and missed him in game 1 of the finals even.
Congratulations to the yellows, hard luck Homenetmen and good luck to both next season! Now, it’s time to look at the statistics for each team in this final series.
First, let’s start with team statistics. Homenetmen shot 35.78% from the field, hitting 151 shots out of 422. Their percentage declined as the series advanced, which was one of the factors that led to the loss. In the rebounds department, they averaged 41.16 rebounds per game, alongside 12.83 assists.
Riyadi meanwhile was better in all 3 aspects. They shot 161 out of 387 with a field goal percentage of 41.6%, averaged 42.33 rebounds and 18.83 assists per game. They were obviously the better team collectively and team work has beat talent.
Secondly, let’s take a look at the individual statistics from each team.
Dewayne Jackson was the best scorer on his team and in the series, with 18.66 points per game. His closest match was Riyadi’s Aminu with 17.16 points. Moreover, Alade was also the best in rebounds with 11.33 rebounds per game, compared to Majok’s 8.83, the best in Homenetmen.
As to the assists, Kevin Galloway led both teams with 7.16. This has been his strong point all season long. As to the yellow, Edgard Sosa was the leader with 5.33 assists per game.
It is also worth mentioning that Elie Chamoun and Jean Abdelnour were key factors for their teams, despite the statistics not showing so. The hustle, energy and fighting spirit they bring is phenomenal, and they sacrifice personal statistics in favor of the team. They have our ultimate respect.
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