BASKETBALL – TITLE challengers Al Ahli and defending champions Manama came away with contrasting victories last night in the 2024-25 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Ahli overcame a tough challenge from Al Hala 90-88 at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam, while Manama outclassed Al Najma 93-76 at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
Both contests were the 13th assignments for all four teams in this season’s Premier League.
Ahli’s clash with Hala was a postponed affair from week six of league play, while Manama’s game against Najma was a rescheduled fixture from the fifth week.
The two victors boosted their hopes of a place in the Golden Square semi-finals as the league’s preliminary round schedule comes to a close.
In Ahli’s hard-earned win last night, Maitham Jameel scored five crucial points down the stretch to help lift his team to the narrow result.
He first buried a jumper with two minutes left and was fouled, to tie it at 87-apiece. Jameel sank the ensuing free-throw to put Ahli in front for good, and then had a driving lefty lay-up with a minute and 19 seconds to play for a 90-87 edge.
Hala’s Ahmed Bin Daynah had a chance to cut into the deficit but split his free-throws, and then Joseph Lawson’s last-gasp three-point attempt before the final buzzer was off target, sealing the victory for Ahli.
Hala fought back valiantly from 19 points down to force the exciting finish. They were behind 61-75 heading into the last canto, and then Lawson even put them in front 87-85 with a triple and a little over two minutes to play. But that set the stage for Jameel’s end-game heroics.
Dominique Sutton and Elijah Thomas combined for 53 of Ahli’s output in last night’s contest. Sutton had 28 and also grabbed 16 rebounds, while Thomas chipped in with 25. Jameel scored 16 in the win while Sadeq Shukrallah had 10. Ahmed Alderazi scored eight points and dished out eight assists.
Bin Daynah paced Hala with 26, while Lawson had 20 in defeat.
Ahli improved to a 7-6 win-loss record with the result while Hala dropped to a 4-9 mark.
Meanwhile, in Manama’s triumph, they used a scintillating third quarter where they outscored Najma by 15, 27-12, to turn a 49-38 advantage at the half to a commanding 76-50 cushion heading into the final frame.
They enjoyed their biggest lead of the night of 31 points with under two minutes to go in quarter three following a two-point fadeaway from big man Clinton Chapman.
Manama then did well to close things out in the fourth despite Najma cutting into their final winning margin.
Chapman finished with 18 points off the bench to lead Manama’s scorers, six of whom finished in double figures. Mohammed Kowayed added 17 while Tony Carr had an impressive triple double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Chad Brown contributed 13 points and 11 boards, while Mohammed Buallay scored 11 and Subah Hussain had 10.
For Najma, Tyler Wilkerson and Mohammed Hussain scored 24 points apiece while Shamorie Ponds contributed 16. They received little help from elsewhere, with their bench being thoroughly outscored 2-28.
Manama secured their 12th win to go with just one loss on the standings while Najma suffered their eighth defeat after having also secured five wins.
League action continues next week with games in both the Premier League and the lower-tier League B.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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