Manama outclass Muharraq in basketball league

TDT | Manama                                                        

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Defending league champions Manama flexed their muscles against bitter rivals Muharraq in a 104-91 victory last night in their week six clash of the 2023/2024 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.

After leading by just three, 27-24, at the end of the first quarter, Manama blew the game wide open with a 38-18 second period, giving them a commanding 65-42 advantage at the interval.

Manama stayed in control from there as Muharraq never recovered, with the victors enjoying leads as big as 25 points in their game-changing surge in the quarter number two.

American professional Travin Thibodeaux led three Manama stars with more than 20 points in the game. He had 25 points, while countryman Sir’Dominic Pointer and Bahraini guard Mustafa Hussain each finished with 24. Thibodeaux and Hussain had four three-pointers apiece in the win.

Tyler Wilkerson scored 28 to lead Muharraq, while Bader Abdulla Malabes chipped in with 24—all from beyond the arc as he went a perfect eight-for-eight in his triples. Newly signed import Austin Daye added 14 in his Muharraq debut.
Manama claimed their fifth win in as many outings as they stayed as the only undefeated team in the league. Muharraq suffered their second loss in five games and remained in mid-table.

In yesterday’s other game, Al Hala eked past Al Najma 72-64.
After Najma got to within five, 64-69, with under two minutes to play, three free-throws in the game’s last 18 seconds—the first following a technical foul and the next two on splits—helped seal the result for Hala.

They held off a late Najma comeback after going ahead by as many as 16 points early in the fourth quarter.
Alex Young scored 28 points as one of only two Hala players in double figures. Tyrone Nash was the other. He finished with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. For Najma, Joshua Caldwell scored 28 to go with 11 boards while Elijah Robinson had 12 and 12 rebounds in the loss.

Hala improved to a 4-2 win-loss record with the result, while Najma dropped to a 3-3 mark.
League action continues tonight with Nuwaidrat playing Bahrain Club at 5.30pm followed by Al Ettihad facing Isa Town at 7.30pm.