Riyadi lead as teams head to break

AMMAN — Riyadi ended Round 2, Leg 1 matches atop the standings in the Jordan Basketball League in the battle for the soon-to-be- decided play-offs for the title.

Riyadi beat Awdeh 86-61 to score their third straight win in Round 2 after overcoming Round 1 unbeaten team Hurrieh 73-67 and Orthodoxi 73-65. Riyadi have now reversed their Round 1 form and need to keep their focus in Leg 2 of the competition to play for the title.

Orthodoxi also heated up the competition after signing new recruits like Sam Daghlas and managed to beat Hurrieh 78-58 after they beat Awdeh 86-82 last week.

Awdeh have lost their grip after they were the only team that managed to beat Round 1 leaders Hurrieh 65-61 earlier in Leg 1.

At the other end of the standings in the battle to avoid relegation Kufr Youba beat Jalil 69-67 to lead the bottom four standings, ahead of Jalil. Ghazzet Hashem beat Nashama 75-60 as the latter remained winless. The bottom two will be relegated to Division 1.

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

Following two legs of matches in the current Round 2, final standings from 1-4 will be decided to determine who advance to the final play-offs for the title.

The top four teams will now start a 10-day break and resume Leg 2 on February 24 as Orthodoxi prepare to host the West Asian Clubs Championship from February 17-22 in which Lebanon’s Riyadi and Champville, Iran’s Petroshemi, Iraq’s Shurta and Syria’s Wihdeh will compete.

Apart from Riyadi and Orthodoxi, leading clubs abandoned the game this season leading to major changes in the league. Former champs Applied Science University and Ittihad disbanded their teams and quit the game over differences with the Jordan Basketball Federation which led to a sharp decline in the game locally and Jordan’s regional competitive chances.