BASKETBALL – AL Najma posted a hard-earned 67-54 victory over Al Ahli last night as gameweek three continued in the 2026-27 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Najma took control of the contest late in the third quarter and did well to pull away from their opponents the rest of the way at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Complex.
Both clubs headed into the clash with unbeaten records after two assignments, but only Najma came away with their mark intact.
Najma held a slim 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and later, in a see-saw second, Maitham Jameel buried a triple against his old team with only seconds remaining to help Najma go into the break up 36-28.
Najma then went ahead by double digits early in the third and after Ahli fought back to briefly take charge twice by a point midway through, Najma ended the period strong for a 51-46 edge with one quarter to play.
In the final frame, Najma gradually added to the gap and Mohammed Hussain gave them a 62-50 cushion with a three-pointer and just over four minutes to go. They cruised the rest of the way and stayed in the top three on the league table with their third triumph. Ahli suffered their first loss but remained in the top four.
Sadeq Shukrallah led a balanced attack for Najma with 12 points off the bench, while Hussain and Raekwon Rogers each finished with 11, also as substitutes.
Hesham Sarhan paced Ahli with 15 while Derrick Woods added 11.
Meanwhile, in another game yesterday at the same venue, Al Hala used a strong second half to defeat Sitra 95-81.
Hala turned a 45-48 deficit at the break to leads as big as 16 points in the final quarter, having outscored their opponents 50-33 in the last two periods.
Tony Mitchell scored on a lay-up with just two minutes remaining to make it 91-75 and send Hala on their way to their third straight victory – keeping them tied with two-time defending champions Muharraq atop the standings. They maintained their unbeaten start to the new campaign while handing Sitra their third loss while still in the hunt for their first win.
Mitchell finished with a game-high 29 points and 14 rebounds for Hala while Ahmed Bindayneh nearly had a triple-double with an all-around effort of 20 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, and six steals. Abdulqader Thani chipped in with 14 and skipper Saif Matar added 11.
Lamar Mallory scored 17 for Sitra in the loss while Ali Mohsen had 16 and Mahdi Abdulameer 13.
The third gameweek of the season wraps up tonight with one fixture on schedule between Nuwaidrat and Al Ettihad. It is scheduled for an 8pm tip-off.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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