BASKETBALL – BACK-TO-BACK champions Muharraq romped to their third successive victory last night to get gameweek three underway in the 2026-27 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Muharraq were in a class of their own from the opening tip and led by as many as a massive 53 points late on in a crushing 124-74 win against Isa Town at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Complex.
American import Glenn Taylor Jr poured in a game-high 42 points in just 27 minutes of work to spearhead Muharraq’s relentless attack, in which all 12 of their players who stepped onto the hardwood made it on the scoresheet.
Muharraq thus extended the gap atop the league table with the result, improving to six points from their three triumphs. They are hoping to complete an unprecedented title ‘three-peat’ this season, which features 10 of the kingdom’s leading basketball clubs.
The league’s third round continues today and tomorrow at the same venue. Two fixtures are scheduled this evening with Al Hala taking on Sitra at 6pm, to be followed by an exciting clash between Al Najma and Al Ahli at 8pm. Then, tomorrow night at 8pm, Nuwaidrat play Al Ettihad to wrap up this week of games.
In Muharraq’s big victory last night, they had a modest start and led just 21-15 at the end of the first period. But they then erupted for a whopping 45 points in the second, blowing the game wide open and taking a commanding 66-36 cushion with them into the break. Muharraq opened that quarter with a 17-7 run to make it 38-22, and continued their onslaught before closing out the frame with a 13-3 surge.
Muharraq didn’t let up after the re-start, and led by 40 for the first time following a Taylor Jr lay-up that made it 86-46 with three-and-a-half minutes left in period number three – before building a 96-54 cushion heading into the final canto.
There, they surged to their biggest lead of the night on a Hussain Ghuloom floater that put them up 117-64, and they cruised to the finish line from there.
Taylor Jr also took down 10 rebounds to go along with his sensational output. Mahmood Abbas added 14 points, including four three-pointers, eight rebounds, five assists, and seven steals, while Naser Alanzoor had 13 off the bench. Mohammed Ameer was their last man in double figures with 10 points, while Nader Ali and Ali Hussain each had nine markers.
Tala Qaheri paced Isa Town with 18 points in their loss, which was their second of the new season. Hussain Mahdi had 13 and Jehad Ahmed and Abdulla Ali contributed 11 apiece.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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