BASKETBALL – BAHRAIN escaped with a late 83-80 victory against hosts UAE last night for their second successive victory in the first round of pre-qualifying for the Fiba Asia Cup 2029.
The kingdom’s senior men’s basketball national team faced a daunting nine-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining in the contest, played at Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai, the UAE.
They roared back in the closing minutes and took a 77-76 lead on a Mohammed Juma’a three-point play with just over a minute left. Baskets from Mustafa Hussain, Juma’a, and JaKarr Sampson then helped them close things out for the hard-earned result.
The Bahrainis’ triumph followed their opening-game rout of Oman. They return to the hardwood tomorrow when they face off with Nepal at 4pm. They then complete their schedule in this round against Kuwait on Monday at 7pm. Both times are Bahrain.
Today is a rest day in the qualification competition.
The Bahrainis are one of 18 national teams – 17 from Asia along with Fiji from Oceania – that have been divided into four groups being hosted at separate locations in the pre-qualifiers’ first round. Only 12 squads – the top three from each group – will advance to round two, to be played in November and December later this year.
The top four nations from each second-round group will then make it to the Fiba Asia Cup 2029 qualifiers, joining the 16 teams that played in the previous edition of the Fiba Asia Cup in 2025, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In Bahrain’s win yesterday, they led 26-16 at the end of the first quarter but were then held to just five points in the second, allowing the Emiratis to take a 38-31 advantage into the break.
The nationals gradually fought their way back in the third and briefly went back in front, 45-43, following back-to-back lay-ups from Ahmed Salman and Sampson. But the UAE regained control to head into the fourth with a slim 57-53 edge.
The home team remained in front for much of the final frame and a Rashed Ayman three-pointer stretched their lead to 73-64 with four-and-a-half minutes remaining. But Bahrain gradually dug themselves out of their hole and used a game-changing 12-3 run, capped by five points from a Hussain triple and a Juma’a lay-up, to level the proceedings at 76-all.
Juma’a then added a free-throw to take the lead for good and they held on in the concluding minute despite Qais Alshebabi burying a three-pointer with 14 seconds left to make it 80-81.
Sampson sank a pair of pressure-packed free-throws to peg the final score.
Hussain and Sampson led Bahrain with their one-two punch that produced 49 points for the Bahrainis. Hussain had a game-high 28 including four triples while Sampson chipped in with 21 while taking down 14 rebounds. Salman was their only other player in double figures with 19 points, also with four makes from beyond the arc.
Juma’a had six markers, Ali Haber five, and Mohammed Buallay four points and 10 rebounds.
DeMarco Dickerson paced the UAE with 27 points in the loss, while veteran big man Qais Alshabebi added 17 and 10 boards.
In yesterday’s other Group A game in Dubai, Kuwait ousted Nepal 88-65.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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