Samad, Jackson power Mahram to title

Olympian Samad Nikkah showed the way and American Jackson Vroman delivered.

That in a nutshell should describe the story of Iranian league winners Mahram’s 78-68 triumph over Jordanian champions Zain in the final of the 20th FIBA Asia Champions Cup on Wednesday.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” beamed Mahram coach Mostafa Hashemi after completing an Iranian three-peat in the Champions Cup. Saba Battery had won the title in 2007 and 2008.

“It’s a tribute to our teamwork,” he said.

Teamwork Mahram certainly needed, a little more than the normal sense too, pitted against a spirited rival.

Zain did do all the running in the first quarter.

Ayman Idais, coming off the bench to replace Ontario Lett, reeled off nine points in a row – starting the run with a sizzling three-pointer – as Zain turned an 11-14 deficit into a 20-14 advantage. The Jordanian league champions, thus nudged ahead 22-19 at the end of the first quarter.

But Mahram were unperturbed.

“It was a matter of getting our plays together. We were not too worried about what they were doing, but more focusing on what we needed to do,” Vroman who returned another team-high double-double performance said.

The former New Orleans Hornets player, whom Mahram borrowed from Saba Mehr for this tournament, scored 19 points and collected 10 rebounds.

Samad Nikkah shrugged off an indifferent first quarter as Jackson Vroman began to move around with customary fluency in the second quarter.

Hamed Afagh fired in a three-pointer and Mahdi Kamrani was as industrious as ever as Mahram chipped away at the rivals’ lead, overtook them and went into the changing rooms 35-33 ahead.

Zain were left playing ‘catch-up’ after that.

After out-scoring their rivals in the intermittent quarters, Samad stepped up the gas in the fourth.

The Olympian scored eight of his game’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, but more importantly kept the rival defense on its toes – drawing a double-team often to open up the space for Mahram’s offensive plays.

Afagh utilized those opportunities the most scoring seven of his game’s 14 points in the final ten minutes as Mahram consolidated their cause.

Zain withered where Mahram flourished.

That Idais could only add 13 points to his first quarter’s nine was a case in point for Zain’s struggle to keep their shooting rate intact.

Ontario Lett who was busier in trying to keep rival center Priest Lauderdale under a leash – both the Americans were out with five personal fouls midway through the fourth quarter – scored 11 points.

“I’m happier for the win than the MVP,” said Vroman.

“All those points would have gone waste if not for the win,” said the American.

“I think the team that defended better won. You can see that from how low scoring the game was,” Vroman added.

FIBA Asia president Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani gave away the prizes.

Scores

Mahram 78 (Jackson Vroman 22, Samad Nikkah 19, Mahdi Kamrani 14, Hamed Afagh 14) bt Zain 68 (Ayman Idais 22, Mousa Awadi 11, Ontario Lett 11). Quarterwise Scores: 22-19, 35-33, 53-49.