BY EARL WRIGHT

RIYADH — IBG Eagles dished out a statement game that gave them their second Best Team of the Week honors and the lead after the ninth session in the Almarai-FBGR Tuesday Night Family Bowling League 17th Conference at the Universal Bowling Center here.

The Eagles scored a decisive 22-12 points victory over the team they toppled at No. 1 in the team standings, two-time defending champion Unica, on total pinfalls of 4,039 and 3,822.

All Saudi 20-Vision-20 matched the Eagles total in the 22-8 drubbing of Team To Beat but was denied what could have been its third straight team award with an inferior total pinfalls of 3,887 in the countback.

The total pinfalls after 9 weeks of slogging in the five-man team league event likewise came in handy for the Eagles at 34,481 as they ended the reign of erstwhile league leader Unica, which compiled 34,167. Both teams are deadlocked at 148 points necessitating a pinfalls countback to break the tie.

Lion’s Den was also convincing in its 18-8 victory over Talk and Strikes on total pinfalls of 3,730-3,552 while Alsalam Strikers became the fourth team to post a lopsided win by blasting Bowlnatics 15-6 (3,666-3,481).

In the other match, Almarai defeated Nomercies 15-11 (3,808-3,651) to bounce back from a 22-9 setback at the hands of 20-Vision-20 the previous week.

Sponsor team Almarai sweetened its ninth week when Prince Mohammad bin Sultan shot the night’s high series of 934 that supplanted the conference record to beat for high series with handicap and high series scratch. Prince Mohammad shot lines of 227, 262, 225 and 220.

But the night simply belonged to the Eagles of Arnold Jesena. The trio of Mohammad Alyaba, Resty de Jesus and Ahmad Al-Qarsuosh scorched the lanes to notch 889, 870 and 816 at the helm of the Eagles, who also drew 708 from Jesena and 756 from Donjie Mapalad.

To De Jesus went the Bowler of the Week award under league rules that allow players to win BOW citation only once except when the same bowler won it on consecutive weeks.

20-Vision-20 rotated six players for the session with Ahmed Yasser Abulreesh taking charge on 827. Bandar Al-Yalah carded 774 that went with the 756 and 728 by Mohammad Khalid and Saleh Al-Ajmi, while Mohammed Abulreesh added 421 and Motaib Al-Basi made 381.

Lion’s Den kept the faith in its five-man team of Omar Valdez 831, Noel Morales 763, Clem Salazar 753, Rodel Bagohin 743 and Cef Chua 639.

Besides Prince Mohammad the other scorers at Almarai were Fhel Ramos with 834, Rodel Maranca with 811 and Andro Tismo with 709.

Over at Alsalam Alfred Valencia showed the way on 793 followed by Rollie Cleofe 771, Melay Valencia 723, Joseph Rivera 696 and Bandar Al-Marshad.

Team standings (Week 9): 1. IBG Eagles 148 points, 2. Unica 148, 3. 20-Vision-20 147, 4. Nomercies 135, 5. Almarai 122, 6. Talk and Strikes 118, 7. Lion’s Den 102, 8. Alsalam Strikers 96, 9. Bowlnatics 72, 10. Team to Beat 63.