VALENCIA (Spain) - Lebanon advanced to the Semi-Finals at the OQT 2024 Spain after putting together a strong finish to see off Angola for a decisive 74-70 triumph.
The success sets up a last four showdown with Group B winners Bahamas on Saturday as Omari Spellman put in a crucial all-round display.
The turning point:
Spellman scored seven straight to inspire a 9-0 run as Lebanon led by as many as 11 points. All the momentum, however, was soon with Angola after the break - outscoring their opponents 19-4 in a big surge to take the lead.
Lebanon used a 9-2 burst to give themselves some breathing room in the fourth and they continued to make important shots down the stretch to hold off Angola's response.
TCL Player of the Game:
Spellman had 13 points and eight rebounds by half-time - hitting back-to-back threes in the pivotal second quarter run. He then bounced back from a bit of slump in the third with his fourth triple in the final quarter and would finish with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists.
Stats don't lie:
Lebanon were 0-of-9 from three-point range in the third quarter, but found their touch when it mattered most - with four different players finding the net from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
For Angola, they took 21 three-pointers in the first half - as many as they took in the entire game against Spain. And, they could only muster 34-percent from the floor, despite collecting 18 offensive rebounds in the contest.
Bottom line:
Perhaps Angola were feeling the effects of their valiant effort against Spain less than 24 hours earlier, but there will be a big sense of a missed opportunity to make it to the Semi-Finals.
Lebanon found a way to put together purple patches, inspired by Spellman, and they can now look forward to the challenging prospect of facing Bahamas on Saturday - knowing tat there is still lots of room for improvement.
They said:
FIBA