Homenetmen Beat Antonine, 95-91
Homenetmen held off a competitive Antonine squad to claim a hard-fought 95-91 D1M victory at Antonine Club on Thursday, January 22. Tyler Tarik Bey led the charge for Homenetmen with a game-high 29 points and 15 rebounds. The lead changed hands 12 times before Homenetmen eventually pulled away for good.
Homenetmen took a 36-35 lead into halftime. The first quarter was the decisive stretch, with Homenetmen outscoring their opponents 29-17 to swing the momentum in their favor.
The game featured several highlight plays. C. Chapman (Antonine) threw down a powerful dunk in the first quarter, one of 2 dunks in the game. G. Cosey (Antonine) connected from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. K. Thomas was a force on the defensive end with 5 blocks.
Tyler Tarik Bey was the undeniable star of the game, finishing with 29 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks in 39 minutes of action. He shot 11-of-24 (46%) from the field, 6-of-8 (75%) from the free-throw line. The double-double effort underlined his all-around impact on the game. The team was a remarkable +17 with him on the floor. Khaleed Thomas provided valuable support with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, including 4 three-pointers. Jordan Stevens also chipped in with 19 points off the starting lineup.
The Homenetmen bench added 11 points to the cause. Isaac Ayoubi was the standout reserve, providing 11 points in a spark-plug role. Homenetmen also generated 22 fast-break points, capitalizing on every opportunity.
Both teams shot similarly from the field — Homenetmen at 46% and Antonine at 43%.
Homenetmen's ball movement was superior with 25 assists to Antonine's 17.
The biggest momentum shift came when Antonine put together a 10-0 run in the second quarter, leaving their opponents scrambling to respond.
Down the stretch, Homenetmen came up clutch when it mattered most. J. Stevens nailed a clutch free throw with 00:14 remaining to help seal the victory. It was a white-knuckle finish that had both benches on their feet until the final buzzer.
In a losing effort, Mark Khoury fought hard for Antonine, finishing with 28 points, 8 rebounds. Ricky Ledo added 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 steals, but their combined efforts were not enough to turn the tide.