THE Zamboaga Valientes can’t catch a break.
SAGESSE Sports Club dominated from the start, racing out to an 8-0 lead and never looking back, coasting to a 90-65 victory over the Zamboanga Valientes in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship at Al Nasr Club in Doha.
Shabazz Muhammad, the former NBA player and PBA import, led the charge for the Beirut-based team, scoring 17 points in the first half to help Sagesse take a commanding 46-24 lead at the break.
Despite a strong third-quarter surge from Zamboanga, the Valientes could not recover.
Prince Caperal provided a glimmer of hope for Zamboanga, scoring 14 points in the third period, including three three-pointers, as the Valientes cut the deficit to 10, 58-48.
However, Sagesse quickly extinguished any chance of a comeback, responding with a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 20, 70-50. The Lebanese side pushed the advantage to as much as 28 before securing the comfortable win.
Muhammad finished with 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting, adding eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals to lead Sagesse to its second win in three games.
Caperal was the bright spot for Zamboanga, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Adonis Thomas also contributed 18 points, but struggled with his shooting, converting just five of 16 attempts from the field.
Sam Deguara, Zamboanga’s leading scorer at 20.5 points per game, was limited to just nine points in the loss. Nic Cabanero added eight points, while Malick Diouf grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots.
Zamboanga, now 0-3 in the tournament, will have less than 24 hours to regroup before facing the Tunisia National Team on Wednesday at 9 p.m. The Strong Group Athletics will look to complete a sweep of their group when they take on Amman United on Thursday at 1 a.m.