India goes down 85-54 to Saudi Arabia at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers
In Jeddah, the Indian men's team lost to Saudi Arabia 85-54 in Group E of the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers. Seijin Mathew led India in scoring with 10 points, while Saudi Arabia's Hazim Bader A Aljohar and Khalid M Abdel Gabar countered with 16 points apiece.
In the first quarter, Saudi Arabia and India's basketball players matched one another move for move, but Saudi Arabia gained the upper hand and led 19-14 at the end of the first 10 minutes. Early in the second quarter, Saudi Arabia stretched their advantage to 16 points as they persisted in riding the tide. Seijin Mathew, a power big, and Lokendra Singh, a shooting guard who had nine points in the contest and excellent drives, cut the lead to 10 points at the end of the first half.
The Indian basketball team surged back into the game after falling down 38-28 to trim the Saudi Arabian advantage to five points at 43-38 in the second half. However, India missed easy field goals and trailed 66-47 entering the last ten minutes. India, which is now ranked 85th, seemed dangerous in the penultimate frame but world No. 73 After scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter compared to India's seven, Saudi Arabia easily won the game.
In the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifications, the Indian basketball team has yet to record a victory. India dropped three of their first three matches in the second round after dropping all four of their first-round contests. They still have three games left, but after losing to Saudi Arabia, they have a slim chance of advancing to the next round of the basketball World Cup.
India's following game is against Lebanon on Saturday at the Pierre Gemayel Arena in Beirut (local time). In the 18 previous editions of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, India has never advanced to the main draw.