Muslim Basketball

Young buck Mahmoud Ghanem lead his team to their 2nd win of the season with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Unfortunately this is likely their last win, as Rafah is looking to (and most likely will) send them packing on Sunday.  

This squad definitely put up way more of a fight than anyone expected. Keeping it close all game, they just couldn't close it out. Hopefully their personnel show up the same way next week, because only one team will be 1-7 going into the playoffs, and they want to make sure it isn't them. 

You don’t want to be the ones to give a team their first win this late into the season, but they can redeem themselves when they match up with Akka again in week 8. Despite their loss, it looks like Mahmoud Ghanem finally shook off the jitters as he put up a cool 17 points and grabbed 6 boards. The young buck is definitely a bright spot on this team. 

Locking down the tower Ayman from Bir Seba'a is not an easy task, but Al-Balah did so limiting him to only 7 points. Unfortunately this wasn't enough to come out with the win. With 3 straight losses, hopefully they figure it out by next week as they are going up against an Akka team desperate for their first win.

Al-Balah's week was tough, but the determination shown by players like Wassim Brahmia, who put up 10 points, gives the team a silver lining to work with. The team's field goal percentage is a concern; however, it also serves as a clear indicator of where the team needs to focus in training. Al-Balah's energy and passion on the court suggest that with some strategic adjustments, they could translate their potential into wins.

Great performances from many players on this team, but it didn’t show up on the standings for them this week making it a difficult loss to swallow. Mohamed Afifi led the team with 16 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, and 3 Stl accompanied by an unbelievable performance by Sammy Abdo (12 Pts, 16 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl). It looks like it was the lack of discipline on the fouls that really put the nail in the coffin for this team. Giving up 16 free throws while only taking 7 is not the way to win a game, especially, one as close as this one. But look out, if you think that this team won't beat you, you haven't been watching the energy that they bring week in and week out.

Al-Balah really found a game plan that worked this past week, sneaking in a 4 point victory and putting them at .500 mark. This team is equipped with shooters and defenders with a deep roster of capable scorers. Definitely a team to watch out for.