Qadsiya player drives the ball past Sulaibikhat player.

KUWAIT CITY, March 29: The Sulaibikhat basketball team secured a thrilling 101-97 overtime victory against Qadsia in the 16th round of the Second Division of the Basketball League (Merged) match at the Basketball Federation Hall in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex, ended in an 89-89 tie before Sulaibikhat—nicknamed the "Reds of the North"—clinched the win, strengthening its bid for fourth place and a spot in the championship semifinals.

With this victory, Sulaibikhat moved up to 21 points, ranking fifth, while Qadsia remains in fourth place with 22 points and a postponed match against Kazma.

Sulaibikhat has shown impressive form, having previously shocked Kazma with an 85-75 victory in the league’s opening round.

Earlier, Kuwait Club dominated Al-Qurain C with a 92-73 win, maintaining its lead with 25 points, while Al-Qurain follows closely in third place with 23 points. The match also marked the return of international player Mohammed Adnan, who made his comeback after a wrist injury that had sidelined him for months.

Sulaibikhat’s head coach, Fahad Barjas, capitalized on Qadsia’s instability following its mid-March loss to Al-Qurain and its Asian Super League semifinal exit against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad. The Yellows were hit hard by the resignation of their American coach, Anthony Ziping, last weekend, alongside the absence of key players—Chinemelo Elono (suspension) and Cedric Henry (injury).

With the playoff race heating up, Sulaibikhat will aim to maintain its momentum, while Qadsia looks to recover before its postponed clash with Kazma.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staf