Iranian Women’s Basketball Super League:
Sahar Academy, Esteghlal set up final showdown
Sahar Academy and Esteghlal will face off in the Iranian Women’s Basketball Super League finals after sealing semifinal series victories on Sunday.
American center Alexis Poole delivered a dominant performance with a game-high 29 points, eight rebounds, and five steals — posting an efficiency rating of 37 — to power Sahar to an 81-61 win over Palayesh Naft Abadan in Shahr-e Qods.
The result secured a 2-0 sweep for Sahar in the best-of-three series.
Poole had also starred in Friday’s 68-58 victory in the series opener, recording a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds to set the tone for her side’s progression.
Earlier on Sunday, Esteghlal completed its own semifinal sweep with a second consecutive win over Bahman Group.
After cruising to a commanding 72-50 triumph in Game 1, Esteghlal faced a far sterner test in the second fixture, eventually prevailing 70-63 in overtime.
The Tehran Blues dominated the opening two quarters to take a 38-24 lead into halftime. However, Bahman mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, tying the contest at 60-60 to force overtime.
Farzaneh Jamami’s side held their nerve in the extra period to seal victory and book a place in the championship series in their top-flight debut season.
Farnaz Khodamardi led the scoring for Esteghlal with 29 points and an efficiency rating of 29. American duo Sabria Dean — the top scorer in Game 1 — and Chia Rael Whitsett also made key contributions in the decisive win.