BASKETBALL – Bahrain champions Muharraq made it through last night to the Gulf sub-zone play-offs in the 2025-26 Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL), despite losing their final game of the preliminary round.
The kingdom’s representatives bowed to Ittihad Club from Saudi Arabia 87-91 at Green Basketball Court in Jeddah to end their Group A campaign with a 2-4 win-loss record.
The loss placed them in third on their four-team divisional table, as Kazma SC from Kuwait lost their fixture yesterday to Shabab Al Ahli from the UAE 80-84.
Ittihad thus top the table with a 5-1 win-loss record and power directly into the Gulf final four, while Shabab Al Ahli and Muharraq will compete in the play-offs, which get underway on February 2.
Kazma’s defeat ensured their elimination from further contention while putting Muharraq through.
Muharraq will next take on the team that finishes second in Group B in a best-of-three play-off series.
The squads in the other pool include Al Ula Club from Saudi, Kuwait SC from Kuwait, Al Arabi SC from Qatar, and Sharjah SC from the UAE.
Their final ranking will be determined tonight, when Sharjah host Kuwait in the Emirates and Ula play Arabi in Medina.
In Muharraq’s tight loss last night, they led for most of the second half but then fell behind 83-85 with just over three minutes to play on a pair of Erick Neal free-throws for Ittihad.
A Mahmood Khalifa floater brought the Bahrainis back on level terms, but Ittihad closed the game strong, scoring six of the game’s last eight points.
Baskets from Neal and Elijah Reshard Thomas put them ahead for good, and then a pair of Neal charity shots iced the contest.
Muharraq led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter but could not sustain their level of play until the final buzzer.
Nicholas Simon West scored 28 points and took down 15 rebounds while dishing out seven assists for the Bahrainis.
Khalifa chipped in with 16 while Nader Ali had 14 and Mohammed Jumaa 13 in the setback.
Neal had a stunning triple-double to spearhead Ittihad.
He scored 31 points, grabbed 10 boards, and registered 12 assists.
Thomas added 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Saudis.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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