HOSTS Bahrain romped to a resounding 95-51 victory over Kuwait last night to make a winning start to the Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Qualifiers for the 2020 Fiba U18 Asian Championship.
Rising star Muzamil Ameer set the tone for the Bahrainis in the contest, scoring 18 of his team’s 29 first quarter points as they raced out of the gates and never looked back.
Also victorious on opening day yesterday were Saudi Arabia and Oman.
HOSTS Bahrain romped to a resounding 95-51 victory over Kuwait last night to make a winning start to the Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Qualifiers for the 2020 Fiba U18 Asian Championship.
The Saudis took down their Qatari counterparts 70-60, while Oman stunned the UAE 62-56.
Tournament action continues today with another three games on the cards. At 4pm, Saudi face the UAE while Kuwait battle Qatar at 6pm.
Bahrain will then look to maintain their winning ways when they lock horns with Oman at 8pm.
All games are being played at the Bahrain Basketball Association arena in Um Al Hassam.
Bahrain were red hot from the very start against Kuwait and they took a commanding 29-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. They continued to roll in the second, when they more than doubled their advantage to 60-18 at the half.
The final 20 minutes were a mere formality, as the Bahrainis took their foot off the pedal and cruised to the final whistle. They scored just 35 points in the second half while giving up 33 to Kuwait.
Muzamil finished with a game-high 27 points, which included four triples. His impressive all-around effort also included 16 rebounds, four assists, five blocks and three steals.
Injury
Guard Mustafa Hussain finished with 23 points. He suffered an injury with just seconds to go in the third quarter and did not return. Abdulla Saad was the Bahrainis’ only other player in double-figures with 12, although all but one on their roster were on the score sheet.
Sahou Alshammari had 16 to lead Kuwait while Salman Alfaraj chipped in with 14.
For Saudi, they used a strong second half to beat Qatar. The game was tied at 30-apiece at the interval, but then the Saudis raised their game and took control the rest of the way.
The victors were dominant in the paint, out-rebounding their opponents 52-32 while also registering a noteworthy 15 steals.
Saad Alsubaie had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Saudis in the win. Almonthadhar Alzurayqi had a near triple-double with 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assist. Both he and Alsubaie played all 40 minutes in the game. Abdulrahman Fallaatah added 13 and Hammam Hussain had 11 as their other players in double-figures.
Ahmed Mohamad had 19 for the Qataris, who also received 11 points from Mahmoud Darwish.
In Oman’s win, it was a tight contest throughout. The Omanis turned a 26-27 deficit at the half to a slim 42-40 lead heading into the final quarter.
Zakariya Al Wahaibi then made two pressure-packed three-throws with just over a minute to play to peg the final score. The Omanis did well to hold on to their advantage all through the fourth.
Al Wahaibi finished as their top-scorer with 13 points, while Mundhir Al Mundhir chipped in with 11 and Musaab Al Wahaibi 10.
Yousif Alsawan had 20 to pace the Emiratis, who had a dismal shooting performance from beyond the arc, from where they missed all 17 of their three-point attempts. Abdullah Alyaarbi and Abdulaziz Ahmad had 13 each in the loss.