Muslim Basketball

They were the real losers for driving down an hour just to find out their opponents forfeited. 

They took the lead and never looked back. Shafic wasn’t slipping this time, having a good 16 points. This was a much needed win to get their season back on track. Especially with Mana coming back, they look to end the regular season on a positive note. 

It’s weird to see them this low, paired with a negative record. They were shorthanded this week, going up without Shafic and Mana. But you have to give Moayad his flowers, dude is unstoppable driving to the basket, and he finished with 23 points. Nazareth made this a fun game when it had no right to be, so when they have the whole squad back, they’ll be better than ever. 

No Mana means that the rest of the squad has to step up. Elias had probably the most efficient stat-line of the day, having 24 points on 9-13 shooting. The younger Aglaguel pitched in with 10. Shafic struggled this game, but I’m sure he’ll bounce back soon. They were simply outmatched and outsized this week. 

A tough loss but you can take a lot of positives out of it. Maybe I was a bit too harsh on Mana starting the year slow—he proved me wrong by going for 22 points and 12 rebounds. Moayad also added in 15 points and really helped keep this game close. There were a lot of plays where they missed open shots that could have won them the game. I think Nazareth will be fine. They came close to beating the best team in the league, and will beat anyone else. 

The Summer semi finals matchup went exactly the way we expected it to go, with Shafic having 14 points. Mohamed Eladl also pitched in with 8 points. He’s improved a lot this season from last, and I’m looking forward to how much better the kid can get. Mana playing in running shoes was a sight to see, but his recent struggles should have them worried going forward, especially since it’s Yazur week. Let’s hope he can find his groove again. 

The champions got their repeat campaign started strong, dropping a nice 70 points without breaking a sweat. Moayad was the right move to add this season, having 19 points and 4 assists. Not to mention them investing in their youth—Moad and Mohamed both having 13 a piece. Shafic had 14 points and Mana a quiet 2. This team had it easy this week, but the rest of their schedule should challenge them. 

The new-look summer champs are back, possibly better than last season. Shafic and Mana are looking to pickup right where they left off.