BASKETBALL – Muharraq hearts were broken last night after Deshawndre Washington buried the game-winning basket to lift Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE to a stunning 84-83 victory in the 2025-26 Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL).
Muharraq led by as many as 16 points in the game but could not close the Emiratis out as the visitors gradually chipped away at the deficit.
That gave them the chance to steal the win away from the home side at Bahrain Basketball Association Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Complex, and Washington provided the heroics.
Coming out of a time-out, the crafty American went one-on-one with Muharraq’s Timothy Lamont Bond Jr.
He managed to create some space with a spin move and got a clean look from mid-range, and then the ball rolled around the rim before falling through the net with just 3.9 seconds to play.
Muharraq had no time-outs remaining at that point, and they tried to rush the ball down the floor but could not get a shot up before time expired.
The result was crucial for both teams as the Emiratis leapfrogged Muharraq on the Group A standings of the WASL’s Gulf sub-zone with their third win in five outings.
The Bahrainis, on the other hand, suffered their third defeat to go with two triumphs.
Muharraq must now win their final game of this ongoing preliminary round to ensure their spot in the next phase.
That will be against Group A leaders Ittihad Club from Saudi Arabia. Their contest is scheduled for Monday next week at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hall in Medina.
In attendance during last night’s affair was Bahrain Olympic Committee vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa along with other high-ranking officials.
Muharraq enjoyed a fine start, powering ahead 21-9 at the end of the first quarter.
They stayed firmly in control in the second and a dunk by Nicholas Simon West put them in front 44-28 before taking a 48-35 cushion into the interval.
Muharraq maintained their advantage in the third but Shabab Al Ahli got within a single possession on multiple occasions.
That paved the way for the hard-fought final canto, where Muharraq lost the lead but later regained it at 83-82 following four straight points by Bond Jr heading into the last two minutes.
But that set the stage for Washington’s winner, which silenced the home vibrant crowd.
Muharraq need to finish in the top three of their group in order to stay in contention for the WASL’s Gulf sub-zone crown.
The top-ranked Group A side at the end of this stage advances directly to the Gulf semi-finals, while the second and third-ranked teams clash in a play-off.
Group B in the Gulf sub-zone features current leaders Al Ula Club from Saudi, who are followed by Kuwait SC from Kuwait, Sharjah SC of the UAE, and Al Arabi SC from Qatar.
The top three teams overall in the Gulf sub-zone will earn direct tickets to this year’s Fiba WASL Final Eight, where the overall champions will be crowned.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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