Player scores 113 points in Lebanese league game

BEIRUT – Move over Wilt Chamberlain. Another basketball player joined the elite century club after scoring 113 points in a Lebanese league game.

Mohammad El Akkari led Moutahed to a 173-141 victory over Bejjeh in a Division A league game on Tuesday. He scored 32 3-pointers in 59 attempts and was 40-for-69 overall from the floor. He only had one free throw.

The basketball world governing body website said the 6-foot-2 guard is the first player to score more than 100 points in an official league game in any of its Asian national federations.

Two players achieved the feat in non-league games. Lou Salvador had 116 points for the Philippines against China in the 1923 Far Eastern Games, and Jeron Teng scored 104 for Xavier School against Grace Christian College in a high school game in the Philippines.

Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game, a record that still stands 50 years later.

The 7-foot-1 Chamberlain played all 48 minutes in the Philadelphia Warrior's 169-147 win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. He shot 36 of 63 from the floor and 28 of 32 from the free-throw line.

The next closest NBA player is Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 on Jan. 22, 2006.

The 27-year-old Akkari entered the game averaging only 7.6 points and 19.2 minutes of playing time in 23 games this season.

"I think it's all a result of my practice," Akkari said. "I also want to thank my coach for letting me play that long and all my teammates for helping."

Coach Ahmad Fadel said he always thought Akkari had the potential for such a performance.

"He's a phenomenal but a very underrated shooter. He puts in a lot of hard work in practice," Fadel said. "I am not surprised."

American teammate Austin Johnson said it was clear Akkari was headed for a big night.

"He starting out shooting the ball very well and just continued to go," Johnson said. "Our team realized that he was on fire, so we kept feeding him the ball. Congrats to Akkari on a record-setting night. He deserves it from the way he works and stays focused."