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| Renaldo Balkman hoists the championship trophy of the Dubai International Basketball Championship after Mighty Sports won the championship. Shoot News |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA—Mighty Sports became the first team outside of Middle East to win the Dubai International Basketball Championship after taking down Al Riyadi Beirut in the championship game, 92-81, early Sunday (Philippine Time) at the Shabab Al-Ahli Club.
The Filipino team pulled away from the Lebanese side at the start of the third quarter, opening the period on a 15-3 run to open a 61-45 lead midway through the quarter.
Mighty Sports stretched its lead to as high as 21, 78-57, early in the fourth quarter and never looked back.
Renaldo Balkman made 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal to lead Mighty Sports, which completed a 7-0 sweep of the tournament. Balkman was eventually named the MVP of the tournament.
Andray Blatche added 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Michael Efevberha made 26 markers on five triples, five rebounds, and one assist, while Dwayne Jackson added 20 points, three rebounds, three steals, and one block for Al Riyadi.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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