A battle of Ball Above All’s the two undefeated teams in the Elite League didn’t disappoint in the fourth week of the season.
Dolphins and Binary Financial each entered the meeting with a perfect 3-0 record, but it was the former who remained flawless as they earned a 79-76 victory at GEMS Dubai American Academy Barsha.
After the teams went back and forth for most of the contest, Binary Financial held a four-point lead with a minute left. But as they’ve done all season when the game has been on the line, Dolphins came through behind pushes by Augustine Bakali and Pavel Aheunin.
Bakali had 28 points and seven rebounds, while Aheunin contributed 21 and five boards to give Dolphins sole possession of first place in the standings.
Meanwhile, Heat secured their first win of the season by beating Spartans 80-77 on the strength of Damian Edwards’ 40 points.
Spartans’ full-court press proved to be a nuisance for Dubai Heat, who saw their early lead whittle down. However, Edwards responded with timely baskets and Tony Gerges hit crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
Emmy Unaegbu paced Spartans with 30 points and six steals as they dropped to 2-2 this season.
In the day’s other game, Vipers handled Dubai Flights with ease in an 88-65 win.
Vipers dominated in the paint and the perimeter as they outrebounded Flight 41-27 while hitting 17 triples, compared to six for their opponents. Eight of those treys came from Alessandro Maniero, who knocked down a season-high, while Michel Hakim had five himself.
Big man Mamadou N’Diaye had arguably the most impressive performance, however, as he showed his versatility with a triple-double of 17 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists.
Ball Above All continues to deliver high quality leagues in Dubai, offering multiple divisions, pick-up games and a recently-launched Academy for all ages during Ramadan.
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