BASKETBALL – Defending champions Manama trounced Qatar’s Al Shamal Club 130-83 in their return Group B game of the 2023-24 West Asia Super League at the Al Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Doha for their fifth straight win of the season.
The Bahrain club, who are unbeaten across all competitions in 2023-24, continue to lead the four-team table with 10 points while Al Shamal, who suffered their fifth consecutive defeat, are at the bottom with five.
6’7” small forward Cameron Clark, who recently joined Manama, spearheaded his side to their crushing win as he scored 33 points along with 13 rebounds and five assists.
The Bahraini side were in complete control from the start, taking a 31-13 lead after the first quarter; leading 63-30 at half-time and 95-52, when the fourth and final quarter began.
Al Shamal, who must, doubtless, have wanted to avenge their 108-71 defeat in Bahrain last November, looked resigned to their fate but manfully stuck to their task even as the minutes ticked past and the game inched closer to a dominant win for Manama.
With five minutes to go, the Bahraini club led 110-65, which became 120-70 with two minutes left.
Al Shamal’s Efosa Osayande then scored a two-point jump shot but Manama’s Emran Ali replied almost instantly with a two-point pull-up jump shot.
Manama now led 122-72, with slightly more than a minute and a half left on the clock but Al Shamal weren’t going to throw in the towel despite the hammering they were receiving and Momar Talla Gueye scored a three-point jump shot to make it 122-75.
With roughly 90 seconds left, Uche Iroegbu added more points to Al Shamal’s tally with a three-point jump shot but the Qatari club still trailed Manama 122-78.
Sir’Dominic Pointer then scored a three-point jump shot with the scoreboard showing Manama leading 125-78, which became 128-78 just a few seconds later when Ali scored another three-point pull-up jump shot.
Only 60 seconds were left but Al Shamal were still looking for opportunities to score and Jassim Ali Al Malki scored a three-point jump shot with 43 seconds left.
Pointer immediately replied with a layup and the scoreboard read 130-81 in favour of Manama with 37 seconds until the buzzer sounded and Iroegbu managed to score a two-point driving layup just before it did to reduce Al Shamal’s margin of defeat by two points.
Manama’s next game is a home fixture against Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai, who lie second in the table with seven points, next Tuesday.