TEHRAN - Tabiat once again withstood Sagesse SC in a thrilling encounter, 79-73, to complete the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) 2025 Final, Saturday night at the Stade Nouhad Naufal.

A bucket inside by Ivan Buva and a split by Stedmon Lemon were enough for the Iran Basketball League outfit to escape after nearly losing a 13-point lead inside the game's final 1:34 due to the home team's hot shooting.

Thus, the relief of each and everyone on the team when the final buzzer sounded as they managed to hack out the victory - and forge a championship showdown against Al Riyadi barely 24 hours from now, FIBA.com reported.

The two protagonists of the upcoming Sunday night special are also bound for the prestigious Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) on June 9-15 as they punched the two tickets coming from WASL.

Sina Vahedi led the way with a game-high 31 points, including 18 in the second half as he helped his side remain stable during the fourth quarter amidst the opposition's fightback from as much as 18 down.

Lemon finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in a turnover-less showing, while the towering Buva notched yet another double-double performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Jamaleddine led Sagesse with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the loss that denied the club a return trip to the WASL Final - and an opportunity as well to bounce back after settling for a runner-up finish last year.

Cady Lalanne supplied 18 points and 8 rebounds. Johnny O'Bryant made 11 points and 10 rebounds while Gerard Hadidian added 10 points for the long-time Lebanese Basketball Championship powerhouse.

Sagesse still have a shot at finishing at the podium as they will face Shabab Al Ahli in the Third-Place Game on Sunday, which serves as the opening act to the finale between Al Riyadi and Tabiat.