BASKETBALL – Bahrain representatives Riffa finished fourth overall yesterday in the Deqing Masters in China, part of the Fiba 3x3 World Tour 2025.
Riffa took their spot on the tournament’s final rankings after losing to Liman from Serbia 15-19 in the semi-final round.
The kingdom’s outfit had earlier claimed a resounding 21-8 victory over Toulouse from France in yesterday’s quarters, but they could not carry over their winning momentum into the last four.
Riffa thus took fourth on the standings, right behind the other losing semi-finalists Ub, also from Serbia, who had a superior point total of 82 from the event, as compared to Riffa’s 74-point aggregate.
It was the third straight Masters competition in China on this year’s Fiba 3x3 World Tour in which Riffa finished in the top four.
They previously ranked third in the Shenzhen Masters earlier this month and, prior to that, were fourth in the Shanghai Masters in late September.
The Fiba 3x3 World Tour will now head for the Macau Masters on Saturday and Sunday, when Riffa are also scheduled to participate.
Masters events will then also take place in Abu Dhabi and Bucharest before heading to Bahrain for the season’s curtain-closing competition on November 21 and 22, the Manama Final.
Riffa competed in Deqing with their quartet of Belgian nationals Dennis Donkor, Jonas Foerts, and Vic van Oosterwyck, along with Serbian Milos Antic.
In yesterday’s quarter-finals, they came away with a convincing victory over Toulouse.
Back-to-back Donkor two-pointers put them up 13-5 with just under three minutes left, and they cruised to the finish line from there, winning by a comfortable margin.
Donkor finished the game with nine points, Foerts had seven, Antic four, and van Oosterwyck one.
Hugo Suhard paced the French with four markers.
In their next outing against Liman, Riffa tried valiantly to get the win – and advance to their first Masters final this year – but were unlucky in the end.
A van Oosterwyck lay-up brought them to within 12-15, and then Donkor made it 14-17.
The Serbians powered ahead 19-14 with only 55 seconds to go, but after Foerts scored to cut the deficit, Riffa’s fate was virtually sealed when Donkor missed two point-blank lay-ups that would have inched them closer.
Liman held on to their advantage as time expired.
Van Oosterwyck scored five points in the loss while Donkor and Foerts had four apiece, with Antic contributing two. Andreja Milutinovic paced Liman with seven.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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