BEIRUT: Riyadi had to win ugly to kill off a dogged Sagesse side in their 77-71 victory Sunday in a hostile Saeb Salam Arena. The champions are now just one win behind leaders Champville.

Riyadi won what was never a free-flowing game by virtue of a huge second half from Jean Abdul-Nour, who collected eight offensive rebounds, four of which were converted into points. The Lebanese international set the tone of the side: Abdul-Nour’s hustle inspired the rest of the squad, especially Ali Mahmoud, who made a huge play late in the game to win a loose ball before supplying Joe Vogel for the dagger 3-pointer.

Dewarick Spencer came up with big plays down the stretch, picking up two “and-1’s” to hold off a resurgent Sagesse, who came close to winning the game through Brandon Crump and Miguel Martinez.

With low scoring from the start, the two great rivals gunned it out on the court while supporters in the stands collided until the Riyadi officials piped music into the hall, pacifying the fans with breathtaking effectiveness.

The atmosphere was generally jovial, if a little colorful, particularly the chants aimed at former Riyadi star Nate Johnson, with fans doing the “Poznan” – the now famous celebration of jumping arms linked with backs to the game, created by Manchester City football fans – throughout.

The only downside of the game was the sight of unlucky big man Daniel Faris clutching his knee as he was removed from the game after his year-long rehabilitation from an ACL injury.

Following a frustrating year on the sidelines, Faris’ misfortunes tell on the face of a man that was fresh and upbeat on his arrival a year and a half ago but now has the weary look of a sportsman unable to ply his trade.

Sagesse laid out their stall immediately, not allowing open perimeter and most importantly stopping Riyadi from getting out on the fast break, where they have been so lethal all season.

Sagesse took a surprise 23-20 lead in the first quarter thanks to an inspired 10 minutes from Sabah Khoury, who scored two 3-pointers and a pair of well worked layups.

Three more points were tacked onto Sagesse’s lead by halftime with Riyadi misfiring from long range and simply unable to get out on the break.

Brandon Crump dominated inside and only a late Willian Faris rally kept Riyadi in the game after 20 minutes. The halftime lead of 41-35 was unable to do Sagesse’s first-half performance justice.

The hosts, however, are not Asian champions for nothing and they dug deep into their winning instinct to pull out an exhausting third quarter that saw Sagesse score just six points as Abdul-Nour took over the game and ground Riyadi back into the game.

A six-point deficit at the half was turned into a three-point lead that Riyadi held on to, thanks to their grit and determination, as well as big hustle plays down the stretch. Spencer led all scorers with 26 points.