Player Sharjah De Marco Dickerson saved his team from a certain defeat and led them to a thrilling 101-100 victory over hosts Al-Ula. This match, held on the first day, was the opening game of the second stage of the group stage in the 'Super West Asia' tournament for the Gulf region. Dickerson scored 29 points, including four crucial ones. He seized the opportunity after being fouled during a successful three-point shot with 4.9 seconds left on the clock. This turned a 97-100 deficit into a 101-100 lead, sparking celebrations in the Sharjah camp for this valuable win and revenge for their heavy 104-74 defeat in October. This victory puts Sharjah back on top of their group with six points, tied with Al-Ula (both have two wins and two losses). Al-Kuwait trails by one point in third place, while Al-Arabi is five points behind in fourth. Sharjah coach Abdelhamid Ibrahim commented on Dickerson's decision to shoot from beyond the arc: 'We had two options, and it was logical for Dickerson to go for a two-point shot, as that is his natural style, relying on his speed to drive to the basket. But he chose the three-pointer, and his decision paid off when he was awarded an additional free throw.' Dickerson stated that the win is just the first step for the team in their first appearance in the tournament: 'This is just the beginning. We are working hard, getting better day by day, and we look forward to building on this victory in the upcoming matches.' American professional Glenn Robinson also played a pivotal role, scoring 32 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out four assists to keep his team competitive throughout the game. Sharjah had a strong first quarter (24-22), but Al-Ula controlled the second and third (24-21 and 25-24). However, 'The King' entered the final quarter trailing before securing it (32-29) and exiting with a thrilling victory. Regarding the performance in the return match compared to the first leg, Robinson said: 'We lost the first game badly, and our goal was to make sure the same scenario didn't repeat. All the players felt that, and we worked on correcting our mistakes. We delivered a perfect match and earned our way back to the top.'
