Bahrain dominate in second straight win

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Bahrain claimed their second successive victory yesterday in the Asian pre-qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, currently being held in Syria.

Less than a day after posting an impressive opening night win over Saudi Arabia, the Bahrainis were dominant against Kazakhstan 104- 67 in another fine performance at Al Fayhaa Stadium in Damascus.

The nationals never trailed in the contest and enjoyed leads as big as a massive 41 points in the final quarter.

With the result, Bahrain maintained their spectacular start to the competition, which features a total of six nations.

They are vying for just one spot in the next phase of qualification for next year’s Olympics. Bahrain will be looking to maintain their winning ways tonight when they battle hosts Syria.

That game will be played at the same venue with an 8pm tip-off, Bahrain time.

Four players finished in double figures for the Bahrainis yesterday as all but two on their roster made it onto the scoresheet.

Mustafa Hussain had 26 to spearhead the nationals, including four three-pointers, to go with three steals.

Muzamil Ameer added 15 with four blocks and three steals, while Ali Hussain chipped in with 13 points off the bench.

Big man Wayne Chism had 12 points and nine rebounds for Bahrain, while Maitham Jameel added nine, Mohammed Buallay eight, and Ali Aqeel and Ali Jaber seven apiece.

Konstantin Neff scored 19 to pace Kazakhstan in the loss, while Anton Bykov and Robert Pan had 12 each.

The Bahrainis came running out of the gate for the second successive game and ended the first quarter with a 25-18 lead.

They stretched their advantage in the second period, going up by double digits, 30-20, for the first time on a fastbreak lay-up by Ali Hussain, before Buallay buried a baseline triple to help them power in front 46- 30 at the interval.

The Bahrainis continued to pile it on in the second half and extended their lead to over 20 points with a Chism basket that made i t 54-33 early in the third.

A two-handed Ameer slam dunk then put Bahrain up 58-35, and later a Mustafa Hussain three-pointer made it 67-41 before ending the third period up 72-47.

Late in the final canto, the nationals took their biggest lead of 41 following an Alwethaq Ali floating jumper that made it 104-63 with just over a minute to go.

Following their third of five assignments tonight against Syria, the Bahrainis have a rest day tomorrow.

They then resume their battles on Wednesday when they take on Indonesia at 5.30pm, before completing their pre-qualification campaign on Thursday against India at 3pm.

The game times are all Bahrain.

The Asian pre-qualifiers in Damascus had an original field of eight nations taking part but South Korea and Chinese-Taipei withdrew.

This event is one of five pre-qualifiers from all FIBA confederations.