Muslim Basketball

Malik doing what Malik does. How many And-1s did he have in the first half? Looks like he's heating up for the playoffs. Taking down Tulkarem for the 2nd time, Rafah reminding everyone that they're coming for that title. 

The father-son duo lead this team once again and almost snuck out with a win. The young-old man Sami Shaban showing us flashes of his prime, pouring in 15 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists with a CRUCIAL 2 free throws to force overtime.

Abdullah Mahmoud did all that talking in the chat but decided not to show up. Chop chop young buck, this was no time to be scared and hide.  

Is it even a Rafah game if Sami Shaban doesn’t call a timeout 3 possessions in to yell at his team to pass the ball? We think not. It worked out though, as they grinded out a 2 point win in a game that was no less than a nail biter. They kept a pesky Tulkarem team at bay and fended off a late game comeback, with Abdullah Mahmoud leading the way with 18 points and 6 boards. Looks like they have at least 4 different players who can lead the team in scoring in any given game, which goes to show how well rounded they are.

Starting the season off cold, Rafah has really turned it around and have won their last 3 games. While everyone thought their matchup with Khan Yunis would be a close one, Rafah came out hot from the start and made a statement with a 16 point victory. The father-son duo of Sami and Kareem Shaban is an exciting one, with Sami giving us sightings of prime Dennis Rodman with 13 boards and Kareem thinking he's on his Trae Young villain arc. Seriously Kareem, the guys on the sideline were cheering for you. Maybe wave goodbye to the opposition next time?

They have gone from 8th in the power rankings to 2nd. They're eyeing that 1st spot with their Yazur matchup in 2 weeks. Yes Kareem, we'll all be rooting for you that game.

 Rafah's recent win was a concerted effort, with Abdullah Mahmoud setting the pace with 16 points, exemplifying his role as a key offensive player. Wassem's command of the boards with 10 rebounds provided the team with the second chances they needed to win. From managing the team substitutions to yelling at his son for his inefficiencies, Sami Sha’ban leads his team to victory off the stat sheet, and also on the boards.

An exciting victory by Rafah this week against Akka with a breakout performance by Kareem Shaban (17 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Stl). Rafah has been working hard on securing their first win, and it looks they found it. This team finally looked like the team we expected them to be this week. Strong showings from Abdullah Mahmoud (11 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Stl) and Malik Soliman (12 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 Blk) as they showed up on both sides of the court. And let's not forget about their fearless leader, Sami Shaban, who didn't have much of an impact on points, but showed out with a monstrous 13 rebounds to give his team second chance points. Let's see if they can keep this momentum going for the next few weeks.

This team has so much potential but is having trouble putting the pieces together. A similar story here, Rafah will be looking to take their first win against Akka on Sunday the 17th.