BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN defeated Japan 85-69 yesterday to make a winning start to their highly anticipated campaign in the 44th William Jones Cup, which got underway in Chinese Taipei.
The kingdom’s senior men’s national team were the aggressors from the tip against their young opponents, who were the Japanese under-25 development team.
The Bahrainis scored the game’s first 11 points as they held their rivals scoreless for the opening four-and-a-half minutes.
They led 19-1 and then 31-15 at the end of the first quarter, and held on to their advantage the rest of the way, going up by as many as 20 points midway through the second period on a baseline jumper by JaKarr Sampson.
The nationals stayed ahead 49-35 at the half, and then stretched the gap to 72-53 at the end of the third on a long-range three-point shot by Mustafa Hussain. They then did enough in the final canto to close out the big win.
Hussain finished as Bahrain’s leading scorer with 19 points, which included five triples. Sampson added 17 while Ahmed Salman finished with 13. Wayne Chism contributed a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Mohammed Ameer chipped in with seven, while Ali Jaber, Ahmed Bin Dayneh, and Subah Hussain had five points apiece. Mohammed Buallay rounded out the national team’s scorers with two points.
Hiyuu Ozawa was the only player in double figures for the Japanese, finishing with 26 points, including an impressive eight three-pointers. Kotetsu Kurokawa and Dai Nemoto finished with nine points each in the loss.
This year’s William Jones Cup is being held until Sunday next week, with nine top teams from across the continent competing in the men’s event.
Aside from Japan’s development team, also taking part are the national teams of Malaysia, the UAE, and Chinese Taipei, along with Chinese Taipei’s national development team, the Qatar B team, Australia United, and defending champions Strong Group Athletics from the Philippines.
The Bahrainis are back in action today against Chinese Taipei’s national development team. That contest is scheduled for a 12noon tip-off, Bahrain time.
The nationals are playing eight highly competitive games in the tournament. Tomorrow, they go up against Malaysia, and then face Australia United on Tuesday. From Wednesday to the final day of action on Saturday, respectively, they play the UAE, Qatar’s B team, Chinese Taipei, and Strong Group Athletics.
The other players on Bahrain’s squad, coached by Georgios Vovoras from Greece, in the William Jones Cup are Mahmood Abbas, Ali Hussain, and Abdulqader Thani.
The William Jones Cup is one of the most renowned and popular international basketball tournaments in Asia. The nationals are competing in the event for the second time in its history, following their debut over four decades ago in the 1978 edition.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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