BASKETBALL – Defending champions Muharraq continued their winning ways with an 83-60 rout of long-time rivals Al Ahli early yesterday morning in gameweek 14 of the 2025-26 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Muharraq powered ahead early and never wavered the rest of the way, leading the entire contest and building gaps as big as 33 points late in the third quarter.
The victors held Ahli to only seven points in the opening period, setting the stage for the one-sided affair.
With the result, Muharraq confirmed the match-ups in the Golden Square semi-finals of this season’s top-tier premier division.
They will be facing off once again with Ahli, while Manama and Al Najma lock horns in the other semis head-to-head.
Both series will be played in best-of-five format.
The winners of each Golden Square clash will then move on to face off for the crown in a best-of-five finals duel.
In Muharraq’s triumph against Ahli, they stretched their advantage to 35-20 at the half before going up by 33 for the first time in the third on a pair of Mohammed Ameer free-throws that made it 61-28.
Muharraq took their foot off the gas in the final frame, where Ahli tried to reduce their deficit, but Muharraq did enough to maintain their cushion and secure the 23-point win.
Michael Warren led Muharraq with 16 points, while skipper Bader Abdulla Malabes chipped in with 13.
Wayne Chism had 11 points, while Ameer scored 10 to go with nine rebounds.
Mahmood Abbas Isa nearly had a triple double in the win, scoring seven points, grabbing seven boards, and dishing out eight assists.
Kenneth Kadji paced Ahli with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Hesham Sarhan was their only other player in double figures with 18, including four three-pointers.
Muharraq improved to a 13-1 win-loss record, while Ahli dropped to a 7-7 mark.
Manama are second on the standings with a 9-5 record while Al Najma are third on 8-6. Al Hala are fifth on a 3-11 record, while Nuwaidrat are last at 2-12.
The league now heads to the 15th and final gameweek of the regular season, which begins tonight with Najma taking on Nuwaidrat at 10.30pm.
Tomorrow, Ahli face off with Hala at 8.30pm while Muharraq go up against Manama at 10.30pm.
While the Golden Square match-ups between the top four are already set, Hala and Nuwaidrat still have plenty to play for, as the team that finishes last on the premier division table will be relegated to the League Two for next season.
They will be replaced by Al Ettihad, who were crowned champions of the lower tier last week.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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