Riyadi retain Jordan Basketball League crown

AMMAN — Riyadi-Aramex have done it. They won the Jordan Basketball League for the second consecutive year after a closely contested season.

Riyadi beat Orthodoxi 68-55 on Tuesday evening ending Awdeh’s ambitions of attempting to win the title for the first time. Awdeh’s beat Kufr Youba 83-82 to settle for second place, leaving Orthdoxi third.

Riyadi had scored a vital 67-61 win over Orthodoxi in Leg 1 of the final round and beat Awdeh 78-69. Last year’s fourth-placed Awdeh were boosted by the signing of Mahmoud Abdeen midway through the final stage of the competition and beat Orthodoxi twice in the final round, and managed a 75-74 win over Riyadi to boost their competition chances.

With no import players this year and a shortened format with no best-of-five play-offs for the  title, Orthodoxi lead the preliminary round of the competition, beating holders Riyadi as the top four were decided while the bottom four battled it out with Jalil, Anjara,  Hurrieh and  Deir Abi Saied contesting the relegation play-offs.