BASKETBALL – Holders Manama and top contenders Muharraq both claimed identical emphatic victories last night to take one-game leads in their respective best-of-three semi-final series in the 2024-25 Khalifa bin Salman Cup.
Coincidentally, both teams triumphed by 37 points – with Manama routing Nuwaidrat 107-70 and Muharraq cruising past Samaheej 109-72.
The two contests were played at Bahrain Basketball Association Arena in Umm Al Hassam. Yesterday’s winners are now expected to close out their match-ups when they return to the hardwood for their second games. Those are scheduled for Friday at the same venue, with game three, if needed, slated for Tuesday next week.
In Manama’s win, they built a comfortable 24-12 lead at the end of the first quarter and then gradually tripled their advantage over the last two periods. Their biggest lead of the night was 39 late in the final frame.
Veteran Bahraini shooting guard Hasan Nowrooz led Manama with 22 points. He came off the bench and fired in six three-pointers.
Tony Carr chipped in with a near-triple double of 21 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, while Mohammed Kowayed added 18 and Hussain Shaker had 11, both also off Manama’s bench, which produced 56 points – more than half of their output.
Malik Wineglass and Elijah Tillman combined for 48 points for Nuwaidrat, while Nader Shaker had 11 as they received little to no help from elsewhere.
In Muharraq’s victory, they took a commanding 56-31 lead at the half and never looked back. They outscored their overmatched opponents in all four quarters and enjoyed leads as big as 39 points – also coming late in the game.
Nader Ali and Salman Alkaabi had 18 points apiece to spearhead Muharraq, who fielded their stars for limited minutes in the game, which allowed their substitutes to pour in 66 points of their total.
Baqer Isa chipped in with 17 while Myron Gordon had 11 and Mahmood Abbas Isa 10 in the win.
Kibi Mania paced Samaheej with 30 points and 18 rebounds, but he also had nine turnovers. Mohammed Abdulla Jaffar finished with 11 in the heavy defeat.
Manama won the last two editions of the Khalifa bin Salman Cup and will be looking to secure an impressive ‘three-peat’.
Muharraq triumphed the first year the tournament was rebranded to its present form in 2017, and then Manama won in 2018. Riffa then claimed the trophy in 2019, before Ahli lifted it in three straight seasons from 2020 to 2022. Manama have since been back-to-back winners.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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