DOHA, Qatar (QBF Emir Cup): Al Sadd won their first title in eight years beating 2011-12 QBF League champions Al Rayyan 81-56 in the final of the 2011-12 QBF Emir Cup on Friday. Sadd’s last triumph in any competition in the QBF came when they won the Emir Cup in the 2003-04 season.

The final began rather evenly but Sadd took charge of the proceedings midway through the first period. Saad Abdulrahman sank back-to-back three-pointers to help Sadd close the first period eight points ahead, and Zoran Kreckovic’s team never looked back.

Michael Southall took over the command of the Sadd forces in the second as the team opened the period with a 12-3 run and built a whopping 17-point lead by the end of the first half. Sadd then played out time.

Abdulrahman finished with a game-high 23 points in a 8/14 field shooting, including finding the mark on four out of five attempts from behind the arc.

Southall hauled down 11 rebounds to go with his 16 points and fellow American Jason Fontenet finished with a different double-double of 11 points and as many assists.

Djibril Abdoulaye had 14 points and Khalid Suliman contributed 13 points in the win.

Veteran Erfan Saeed who attempted a rearguard action in the second half, albeit in vain, led Rayyan with 15 points. Chauncey Leslie was restricted to a dozen points and Targuy Ngombo to merely 11.

FIBA Asia

Photo courtesy: QBF.