Hurrieh take 3rd spot in league

AMMAN — Hurrieh finished third and took the bronze medal after they beat Awdeh 53-44 as the 2015-2016 season Basketball League ended on Friday.

Hurrieh sealed the best-of-five play-offs 3-2. Hurrieh had extended the series levelling the play-offs when they beat Awdeh 65-62 last week and 71-65 earlier while Awdeh beat Hurrieh twice 65-64 and 65-60.

Hurrieh had finished Round 1 with an unbeaten record while Orthodoxi were second after they beat Riyadi. With teams like Applied Science University, Ittihad, and Wihdat pulling out of the competition, Awdeh had joined the top four.

Riyadi rebounded and became the only unbeaten team in Round 2, while Orthodoxi seemed to be struggling as they were also eliminated from the West Asian Basketball Championship.

Riyadi-Aramex were crowned league champs this week — a title which had eluded them for 20 years when they beat titleholders Orthodoxi to win the best of seven play-offs 4-0.

Riyadi-Aramex had an eight game winning streak in Round 2 and later in the play-offs, making it a memorable win for the squad who last won the league in 1997 by then-Jazira-Aramex team (whose players formed Riyadi’s line-up).

At the other end of the standings, Kufr Youba and Jalil pushed Ghazzet Hashem and Nashama to be relegated to Division 1. Orthodoxi who won their record 23rd league title last year won the season opening Jordan Cup. 

The Basketball League, which started in 1952, has had 58 editions with eight teams crowned champion. It was cancelled in three seasons and discontinued once. Orthodoxi have won 23 times, Ahli 21, Zain (Fastlink) six times, ASU four times, Jazira-Aramex twice, while Riyadi, Urdun, Watany and the Electricity Co. won once each.