Iran team defeats US to ascend to Intl. Basketball Challenge final
Iranian men's national basketball team has advanced to the final showdown of the 2015 International Basketball Challenge in China, overwhelming the US side in the semifinal round.
On Friday, the Iranian squad sealed a convincing victory by a 15-point margin over Americans in a match held at the Suzhou Sports Center in the southeastern Chinese city of Suzhou.
The Iranian basketball players outscored the US outfit 20-6 in the first quarter. The second quarter played out much like the first, with the Iranian team utilizing some quality offensive breaks to win the first half 35-29.
The Iranian sportsmen maintained their lead in the third and final quarters, and managed to edge past the American basketball players 71-56.
Captain Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami was the leading scorer for Iran with 14 points, and Iran’s Hamed Haddadi chipped in 13 points.
The Iranian team will return to action on Saturday as it faces the home side in the final match. In the game for the third place, the US will take on Lithuania.
Iranians clinched a 75-59 win over Slovakia in their third preliminary round match on Wednesday, and progressed to the semifinal rank.
The 2015 International Basketball Challenge opened in Suzhou, China, on July 27, and will run until August 1.
The tournament is a warm-up exercise for Iran before the FIBA Asia Championship for Men scheduled to be held between September 23 and October 3 in Wuhan, China.
The winner of the forthcoming sporting event qualifies for the basketball tournament on the 2016 Summer Olympics, while the silver and bronze medalists will go under the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
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