BASKETBALL – CHAMPIONS Muharraq romped to a dominant 86-67 victory over Al Najma last night in gameweek eight of the 2025-26 Zain Bahrain Basketball League, played at Zain Basketball Arena at Um Al Hassam Sports Complex.
Muharraq stormed to a commanding 25-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Their biggest advantage of the night was 28 points on two occasions late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, with the second time coming following a Nader Ali three-pointer that put them in front 73-45.
The victors then cruised the rest of the way, allowing Najma to cut into the final margin until the final buzzer.
Ali finished as Muharraq’s leading scorer in the contest, firing in 21 points off the bench, including an impressive six three-pointers. Wayne Chism chipped in with 19 points and eight rebounds, while US import Kevin Roach added 18 points and seven assists. Mahmood Abbas Isa was the victors’ fourth player in double figures with 12 points.
Court general Ahmed Aldurazi had 18 points to pace Najma in the losing effort. American professional Donovan Smith had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Najma, while veteran big man Ahmed Najaf finished with 14.
With the result, Muharraq maintained their unbeaten record in the league’s top-tier premier division after seven games, as they continued their firm hold on first place in their six-team standings.
They dealt Najma their third loss after six outings as they remained mid-table.Muharraq’s next assignment will be a fiery clash against bitter rivals Manama, scheduled for Thursday later this week. They will then resume their campaign in the Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL) when they play Shabab Al Ahli from the UAE at home on January 12. They then complete their preliminary round schedule against Ittihad of Saudi Arabia away on January 19.
Muharraq need to finish in the top three in Group B of the Fiba WASL’s Gulf sub-zone to stay in contention for the title.
Meanwhile, action in the Zain Bahrain Basketball League continues tonight with another two contests on the cards.
In the premier division, Al Hala face off with Nuwaidrat at 8pm, while in the lower-level League B, Sitra take on Al Ettihad at 6pm.
Earlier in gameweek eight, Manama edged past Al Ahli 63-58 in a tough contest between another pair of title hopefuls, while Samaheej outclassed Bahrain Club 96-74 in League B.
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