Bakaro Bull edge Ahli in Shabab Club International clash

American import Michael Singletary and guard-forward Allein Maliksi led the last quarter charge for Barako Bull Energy Cola to get past Al Ahli-Libya 80-75 in the 2nd Al Shabab Club International Basketball Tournament.

Singletary registered a double-double performance, leading all players with 31 points and 14 rebounds. He also made five of his seven attempts from the three-point area and went 10 out of 13 from the free throw line, while Maliksi scored 14 of his total 21 points in the fourth period.

Barako Bull started strong and established a nine-point lead, 25-16, at the end of the first period but Al Ahli’s American imports Craig Winder and Ryan Holmes combined with brothers Mohamed and Osama Yusuf Abdelqader to take control in the next two quarters and went up by four, 58-54, going into the third quarter.

Maliksi’s gutsy play gave back the lead to Barako Bull after he capped a 14-2 run with a triple to give the visiting PBA team an eight-point lead, 68-60, in the middle of the fourth period.

But the Libyan team refused to go out quietly and retaliated with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to just one, 68-67.

Barako Bull then employed a suffocating defence to force Al Ahli to commit several turnovers as Singletary took the offensive cudgels in his own hands en route to their first win.

Elsewhere, Hoops Lebanon registered a 94-91 overtime win over hosts Al Shabab Club.

Barako Bull-Philippines 80 – Michael Singletary 31; Allein Maliksi 21; Doug Kramer 8; Jonas Villanueva 7; Keith Jensen 5; Mark Macapagal 6; Emman Monfort 2
Al Ahli Libya 75 – Craig Winder 26; Mohamed Yusuf Abdelqader 13; Ryan Holmes 11; Yehya Mohomed Ibrahim 8; Osama Yusuf Abdelqader 7; Zakerya Mohamed 4; Khaled Mohamed 3; Mohamed Ramadan Ali 3

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