The Bahamas Basketball Federation’s (BBF) Summer of Thunder showcase is in full swing. Action continued on Monday with Egypt’s national team dropping the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits, 67-62, in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis.
The Egyptians were led by Ehab Amin. He led a very balanced Egyptian scoring attack with 10 points. All but one of 12 Egypt’s players got on the scoreboard.
The Jackrabbits Zeke Mayo led all scorers with 12 points.
Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field, as Egypt shot 37.5 percent while the Jackrabbits posted 31.9 percent shooting from the field. They were even from deep in made shots as they both connected on eight three-point shots.
In rebounding, Egypt won that battle, 47-37. It was a sloppy game as both teams kept turning over the ball. The Jackrabbits had 15 steals and Egypt had 12 steals.
It was a close game in the first quarter. The Jackrabbits held the biggest lead of the first quarter at five points, but Egypt came back and sent it into the second quarter tied at 15 points apiece.
Egypt came out of the break fired up as they went on a 10-2 scoring run in the opening two minutes of the quarter. They led 25-17 at that point. Amir Zahran made one of two free throws to give Egypt a 29-19 lead – the first double-digit lead of the game. That came at the 4:18 mark of the second quarter.
Mayo was huge down the stretch of the first half for the Jackrabbits as he made a three-point shot with under a minute left to bring his team to within 36-31. The score remained 36-31 at the end of the first half.
In the third quarter, Egypt gave up just eight points, and on the offensive side, they touched the 50-point mark by the end of the third period. Heading into the fourth period, it was a comfortable position for the Egyptians to be in as they led 50-39.
At the 1:48 mark of the fourth quarter, Mayo converted an and-one play and Egypt’s lead dwindled to four points, 63-59. Egypt weathered the storm to record the 67-62 win.
The Egyptians wrapped up its second game in a three-game rodeo at the Summer of Thunder tournament. They lost the first game, 72-68, to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. They will wrap up their time in The Bahamas with a matchup against the Puerto Rico national team on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis.
This was the first of two games that the Jackrabbits will play at the Summer of Thunder. They will play their second and final game today against House of Hoops in the first game at 3 p.m.
Both games are at the Imperial Ballroom.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes defeated the Puerto Rico national team, 75-68.