BAHRAIN’S Manama bowed to the UAE’s Sharjah 74-82 last night in the final of the Fiba Asia Champions Cup 2019 Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) Qualifiers, played at a packed Khalifa Sports City arena in Isa Town.
Americans professionals Tyler Wilkerson and Marvelle Harris, plus Emirati guard Mahmoud Waseem Al Sawan, all made several key baskets down the stretch to help Sharjah come away with the win.
The result earned them their second successive title in the regional tournament. They had also beaten Manama in the final of last year’s edition.
The Bahraini hosts had their own chances to take control of the game in the closing minutes, but could not deliver the needed baskets.
Following the final, both Bahrain and the UAE are assured places in the first round of the Road to Final Eight-West Asia for the Fiba Asia Champions Cup. The clubs for that event are to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai from the UAE finished the competition as third-placers after defeating Al Shamal of Qatar 98-80 in yesterday’s game for third place.
The Emiratis blew the contest wide open in the third quarter when they outscored Shamal 35-16. They led by as many as 30 points en route to the final buzzer.
In Manama’s defeat, Polish big man Maciej Lampe and American Terrico White put in a valiant effort to try and lift the home side to the win, but they were outduelled by their Sharjah counterparts.
Lampe had a brilliant triple-double of 29 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, while White added 21 markers, as both professionals made three three-pointers apiece in the game. Maytham Jameel contributed 11 as Manama’s only other player in double figures.
For Sharjah, Wilkerson had 27 and Harris finished with 26. Harris lit it up from long range, connecting on four triples.
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Both imports also had 10 rebounds each in their win. Skipper Jasim Abdalla chipped in with 11 points and Al Sawan added eight, all in the fourth quarter.
The Bahrainis were ice cold to begin the final, scoring just three points in the first seven minutes. They did well to fight their way back into the game and after the half-time break, came within striking distance before cutting the deficit to three, 53-56, to end the third period. White made a fast-break lay-up off an assist from Ahmed Abdulaziz just before the quarter buzzer.
In the final canto, Lampe tied the proceedings at 61-all with a triple, only for Harris to reply with his own basket from beyond the arc. Al Sawan also made a pair of crucial three-pointers, and later, after Jameel made a basket to get within 72-75, Wilkerson answered with a three-point play at the two-and-a-half-minutes mark.
Manama could not get any closer the rest of the way, and Al Sawan pegged the final score from the charity stripe.
In Shabab’s win, Kevin Murphy came one rebound shy of a triple-double after also registering 32 points and 10 assists for the victors. He fired in four three-pointers in the game. Fellow-American Chris Johnson contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Emirati Qais Alshabebi added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Mohamed Harat paced Shamal with 30 points and 13 rebounds. American Jeffrey Newberry II added 25 markers in the loss.
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