MARCEL Jones went coast to coast for an uncontested lay-up with just under three seconds remaining to lift Al Ahli to a hard-earned 79-77 victory over Manama last night and clinch third place overall in the 2018/2019 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
A pair of Hesham Sarhan free-throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Ahli a 77-74 lead, but after a timeout, Manama’s young superstar Mustafa Hussain fired in a corner three-pointer to tie the proceedings. But Jones wasted no time in picking up the ensuing inbounds pass and racing down the court, zig-zagging through Manama’s defenders and laying the ball in.
Manama called a timeout to draw one final play, but Mohammed Ameer’s desperation three-pointer hit only air as the final buzzer sounded.
With the result, Ahli claimed third place in the league after finishing runners-up last season. Manama, on the other hand, had to settle for fourth place – their lowest ranking in years – after heading into the current campaign as five-time defending champions.
Jones led all scorers in the contest with 27 points. The American import also finished with nine rebounds for his team. Jordanian professional Zaid Abbas added 17 markers and 12 boards. He also had two steals and two blocks.
Sarhan contributed 13 points in the win, while Hasan Gerashi had 10 off the bench for Ahli.
Manama youngster Ali Hussain, brother of Mustafa Hussain, had 19 points to pace his team in defeat. Ameer and Hasan Nowrooz both added 14, with Ameer also taking down nine rebounds. Mustafa Hussain finished with 11.
Ahli had a strong start to the game, taking a 21-18 lead at the end of the first quarter, which they turned to 46-35 at the half. They enjoyed their biggest advantage of 13, 46-33, following a Hussain Salman three-pointer with a minute to go in the second period.
In the third, however, Manama came roaring back and outscored their rivals by nine, 26-17, to get back to within a field goal, 61-63, heading into the final canto.
The fourth quarter was a see-saw affair with four ties.
Ameer gave Manama the lead at 65-63 with just under seven minutes to go, and later a Nowrooz triple made it 70-66 with a little over four minutes on the game clock. Four straight points from Jones tied it once more, and after an Ameer basket and a Jones free-throw put Manama ahead 72-71, Jones hit a step-back jump shot to put Ahli in front again with under two minutes left.
Four charity shots from Sarhan and a Nowrooz field goal made it 77-74 for Ahli, setting the stage for Mustafa Hussain’s game-tying three-pointer and eventually Jones’s game-winner.
Despite playing their final classification game in the league, the season for both teams is not yet over. Manama have still to play in the Khalifa bin Salman Cup, while both teams will be representing Bahrain in the 39th GCC Clubs Basketball Championship, which is scheduled to take place from April 20 to 27 in Bahrain. Manama are the hosts of the tournament.