Ettihad stun Manama in thriller

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Al Ettihad pulled off a stunning 83-77 upset against defending champions Manama last night in their week three game of the Top Six play-offs in the 2023/2024 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.

Ettihad came up with the crucial plays late in a tight contest to hand Manama their first league loss all season.

Also yesterday, perennial title-contenders Al Ahli cruised to a resounding 77-58 victory over Al Hala.

Both games were played at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam. In Ettihad’s triumph, the victors did well to keep things close over the opening two quarters and trailed by just a single possession, 43-45, heading into the break.

In the third, Manama gradually stretched the gap but Ettihad were able to cut the deficit to just three, 57-60, with a Mohammed Kuwayed put-back and only seconds left in the period.

That set the stage for a thrilling final frame. Demetrius Treadwell scored with a floater to tie it at 63-apiece, and then made another basket off a Kuwayed assist to give Ettihad a slim, two-point edge.

And after Manama tied it once more, Kuwayed buried a triple to give his team the lead for good, and Treadwell followed it up with a lay-up to make it 70-65.

Manama fought back but Ettihad had the answers each time, and after Sir’Dominic Pointer brought Manama to within 75-77, Mohammed Buallay virtually iced the game with a three-pointer, putting Ettihad up 80-75 with just over a minute to play.

Free-throws from Younes Kuwayed and Jeff Ayres helped Ettihad maintain their advantage until the final buzzer.

Game-high Treadwell finished with a game-high 27 points while also taking down 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists.

Ayres added 19 and 13 boards, while Mohammed Kuwayed finished with 13 and Buallay had 12. Pointer and Ali Jaber had 22 apiece to pace Manama, while Travin Thibodeaux scored 14.

With the result, Ettihad and Manama own identical 2-1 winloss records in this stage, although Manama remain atop the table with a superior points differential.

In Ahli’s win, they raced out to a commanding 26-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.

Ahli led by as many as 24 points in the fourth following an Arnette Moultrie alley-oop with just over five minutes to play.

Ahli claimed their second win in three outings and are ranked just behind Manama on the standings.

Hala suffered their third straight loss and have yet to taste victory in this stage of the league.

Moultrie top scored for Ahli with 29 points while also taking down an impressive 18 rebounds.

Ahmed Aldurazi chipped in with 15 and was Ahli’s only other player in double figures.

Hesham Sarhan finished with eight and Maitham Jameel seven for Ahli.