BASKETBALL – Bahrain champions Manama eked out a hard-earned 77-75 victory over Al Arabi of Qatar last night in their Gulf sub-zone clash of the 2024-25 Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL).
Tony Carr buried two pressure-packed free-throws with 31 seconds remaining to give the Bahrainis a one-point edge, 76-75. Mohammed Kowayed then pegged the final score with a split on his charity shots after former Manama guard and Bahrain national team star Mustafa Hussain missed a potential game-winning three-pointer for the Qataris.
The victors battled back after Arabi surged ahead briefly in the third quarter of the hotly contested affair, played at the Al Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Doha. Manama led by a slim, three-point margin, 60-57, heading into the final frame and did enough to pull off the win.
It was a crucial result for Manama, who are fighting for the top spot in Group B in the WASL Gulf preliminary round. That would earn them a direct berth in the Gulf semi-finals, although the battle between the four teams remains tight with only one gameday remaining.
Both Manama and Al Qadsia SC of Kuwait are on 3-2 win-loss records, while Arabi and Ittihad Club of Saudi Arabia are on 2-3 marks. Qadsia were also narrow winners last night, battling past Ittihad 62-60 at Green Basketball Court in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
All four teams are back in action on Tuesday next week in a pair of fixtures that will decide the final ranking in their pool – which would thus determine who advances outright to the Gulf final four, who will need to play in a cross-over play-off, and who will be eliminated.
Qadsia host Arabi in Kuwait City at 7pm while Manama take on Ittihad at home at 7.30pm.
In last night’s contest, Ali Jaber buried a basket from beyond the arc to help give Manama a 24-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. An Avelon Luke John Jr lay-up kept the Bahrainis in front 43-41 at the half, but then Arabi came alive in the third, taking a 57-48 advantage after a pair of Victor Rudd free-throws.
But Manama roared back and closed the quarter out with a resounding 12-0 run, sparked and capped by a pair of Tony Carr lay-ups to make it 60-57 in their favour heading into the fourth. There, Subah Hussain made a floating jumper to give Manama a 74-68 lead, but the Qataris replied with a stunning 7-0 rally, ending with two Mustafa Hussain charities.
But that set the stage for Carr’s decisive conversions from the stripe, helping Manama escape with the victory.
Carr finished as the Bahrainis’ leading scorer with 24 points while almost posting a triple-double, taking down 13 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Kowayed was their only other player in double figures with 10. Ahmed Salman and Clint Chapman chipped in with nine points apiece in the win.
Mustafa Hussain paced Arabi with 25 points, while Moustafa Fouda added 15 and Abdelrahman Abdelhaleem had 11 to go with 12 boards.
Manama are one of two Bahraini clubs in this year’s WASL Gulf sub-zone. Ahli are the other, and they are currently second-to-last in Group A with one win from five games.
Ahli are also hoping to remain in contention for a spot in the play-offs for the Gulf semi-finals. They wrap up their preliminary round schedule on Monday at 7.30pm against Al Bashaer Club of Oman at home.
The top seeds in each group advance straight into the Gulf final four, while the second and third-ranked clubs will play in a crossover play-offs for a chance to join the last four.
The top three teams from both the Gulf and the WASL’s West Asia sub-zones will qualify for this season’s FIBA WASL Final Eight, where they will be joined by the champions of South and Central Asia.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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