Basketball Club Astana earned a big home win in the FIBA West Asia Super League, beating reigning champions Al Riyadi of Lebanon 86–72 in front of 4,343 fans at the Saryarka Velodrome.
The game was intense throughout and demanded full concentration from the hosts. The first half was evenly balanced, but everything changed after the break. Astana came out with much more energy in the third quarter, winning it 26–16 and creating the separation that proved decisive.
Early in the fourth quarter, Robert Pan, Vadim Shcherbak, and E.J. Day hit back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the lead out to as many as 18 points. Al Riyadi made a late push and cut the deficit to seven with just over a minute left, but Astana stayed calm, managed the clock well, and closed out the game.
Head coach Ramūnas Čvirka praised his team’s composure and mindset after the final whistle:
“We didn’t start with much energy, but as the game went on we found our rhythm and started making the shots we’ve been working on in training. I always tell the players that the most important thing is to stay in the game — once you do that, you can find a way to win.
We managed to create some separation and keep a 10-point gap, even though we made a few unnecessary mistakes in the last couple of minutes. There were moments where we could’ve played calmer — slowed the game down, moved the ball better. Fatigue played a role, but that’s part of basketball.
We haven’t looked ahead to Al Wahda yet — we don’t like to do that too early. Tomorrow we’ll sit down as a coaching staff and review everything. Before that, we still have a National League series against Tobol.”
Robert Pan led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Vadim Shcherbak and Alexander Zhigulin each scored 13 points, while E.J. Day recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
The victory was Astana’s second in a row in the current WASL campaign. After three group games, the team holds a 2–1 record and sits second in the standings, behind only Iran’s Shahrdari Gorgan.
Small forward Vadim Shcherbak highlighted the importance of defence and the home crowd:
“The main thing was our defence — both individually and as a team, we followed the coach’s plan. I think we did a good job on their key players, and when it mattered, we hit some big shots that gave us confidence.
The support from the stands was huge, especially late in the game when Al Riyadi started to press and we had a few turnovers. The fans gave us that extra energy. Toward the end, we were tired and things got a bit nervous, but the timeout helped us settle down and finish the job.”
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