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Al Rayyan bruises Al Muharraq to join semifinal stage

Dalron Johnson

by Eurobasket News - May 17, 2008

Rayyan - Muharraq 95:78 Qatari Rayyan cruised past Muharraq of Bahrain to reach the semifinal stage yesterday. The teams had three days of rest after the quarterfinal stage was postponed because of the state mourning in Kuwait. So both sides were ready to fight and come up with their best performances. It turned to be partly true as Rayyan looked impressive down the line and posted an easy win.

Rayyan - Muharraq 95:78

Qatari Rayyan cruised past Muharraq of Bahrain to reach the semifinal stage yesterday. The teams had three days of rest after the quarterfinal stage was postponed because of the state mourning in Kuwait. So both sides were ready to fight and come up with their best performances. It turned to be partly true as Rayyan looked impressive down the line and posted an easy win. Qatari team jumped to a lead late in the first frame and drove to a 23:17 advantage after 10 minutes of action. A well-balanced offensive effort from Rayyan allowed Qatari side to stretch the gap to as many as 14 points at halftime. Rayyan did a great defensive job limiting Muharraq leader Donald Little to only 12 points and thus cutting the offensive options for Muharraq. Saad Ali stepped up for Rayyan in the second half as they kept their opponents at bay and rolled to a comfortable victory. The margin reached an 18-point mark after three quarters and Muharraq simply lacked answers for the sizzling performance from Rayyan. The defense eased the pressure in the fourth period as both teams fired from all distances but Rayyan had the game under control and registered a comfortable win at the end. Dalron Johnson (206-F-81, college: UNLV) provided 21 points to lead Rayyan. Saad Ali launched 18 points, while Yassen Daoud Musa (193-G-82) had 14 in a winning clause. Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)) replied with 24 points for Muharraq. Ebrahim Alderazi scored 24 points in defeat. Rayyan will face Wasl in the semifinal clash tomorrow.

Rayyan: Dalron Johnson 21, Saad Ali 18, Yassen Daoud Musa 14, Eric Chatfield (191-G-79, college: N.Mexico) 13
Muharraq: Rah-Shun Roberts 24, Ebrahim Alderazi 24

Muharraq In Asian Quarter-Finals

John Wojtak

by Yousef Ahmed - May 14, 2008

BAHRAIN champions Muharraq will go head to head with title contenders Al Rayyan of Qatar in the quarter-final match of the Asian Clubs Basketball Championship tonight at 10pm at Al Qadsia Club Gym in Kuwait. Muharraq club coached by John Wojtak , booked a berth in the last eight after coming third in Group 'B' behind winners Al Wasl of the UAE and second-placed Saba Battery of Iran. Hosts Al Qadsia of Kuwait are the fourth team who qualified from this five-team group.

BAHRAIN champions Muharraq will go head to head with title contenders Al Rayyan of Qatar in the quarter-final match of the Asian Clubs Basketball Championship tonight at 10pm at Al Qadsia Club Gym in Kuwait.

Muharraq club coached by John Wojtak , booked a berth in the last eight after coming third in Group 'B' behind winners Al Wasl of the UAE and second-placed Saba Battery of Iran. Hosts Al Qadsia of Kuwait are the fourth team who qualified from this five-team group.

SABA Battery clinches the second spot in Pool B

Gabe Muoneke

by Eurobasket News - May 13, 2008

SABA Battery - Al Muharraq 92:68 SABA Battery forgot sour memories of the preliminary loss to Al Wasl and kept on winning. In the final game in Pool B the Asia Champions Cup defending champions handled Al Muharraq from Bahrain and booked the second spot in the Group. The defeat however still allowed Al Muharraq to reach the quarterfinal stage where they would play against Al Rayyan. SABA Battery jumped to an early dominance as they outscored their opponents 33:17 in the starting frame.

SABA Battery - Al Muharraq 92:68

SABA Battery forgot sour memories of the preliminary loss to Al Wasl and kept on winning. In the final game in Pool B the Asia Champions Cup defending champions handled Al Muharraq from Bahrain and booked the second spot in the Group. The defeat however still allowed Al Muharraq to reach the quarterfinal stage where they would play against Al Rayyan. SABA Battery jumped to an early dominance as they outscored their opponents 33:17 in the starting frame. The margin was stretched to as many as 30 points at halftime and Iranian team never looked back afterwards. The game was a battle of imports duets as Gabe Muoneke (200-F-78, college: Texas) and DaJuan Tate (196-G/F-81, college: Mountain St.) paced SABA Battery, while Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)) and Donald Little (211-C-78, agency: EM-PA, college: Cincinnati) led the charge for Bahrain team. SABA Battery exploded with 21 points in the third stanza bruising Al Muharraq and leaving them with an insurmountable 37-point deficit before the final period. Al Muharraq cut the gap in the fourth frame but never seriously threatened Iranian side. SABA Battery finalized a confident success at the end and would take on BK Almaty in the quarterfinal clash.
Gabe Muoneke led the action with 22 points for SABA Battery. DaJuan Tate provided 17 points, while Mahdi Kamrani notched 11 points for the winners. Rah-Shun Roberts scored 21 points for Al Muharraq. Donald Little produced 20 points in a losing case. The tournament will take a day pause before enjoying the quarterfinal battles.

SABA Battery: Gabe Muoneke 22, DaJuan Tate 17, Mahdi Kamrani 11
Al Muharraq: Rah-Shun Roberts 21, Donald Little 20

Al Wasl outlasts Al Muharraq to stay on top of Pool B

Courtney Fields

by Eurobasket News - May 12, 2008

Al Wasl - Al Muharraq 116:88 The Emirates Al Wasl extended their winning streak to 3 games toping Al Muharraq yesterday. Both sides entered the game undefeated and hoped to stretch their winning run. The teams traded buckets early on but gradually Al Wasl took over. They used a tough defense to limit Al Muharraq offensive options and keeping them away from the paint. It worked pretty well as Al Wasl accumulated a 31:18 lead after the starting frame.

Al Wasl - Al Muharraq 116:88

The Emirates Al Wasl extended their winning streak to 3 games toping Al Muharraq yesterday. Both sides entered the game undefeated and hoped to stretch their winning run. The teams traded buckets early on but gradually Al Wasl took over. They used a tough defense to limit Al Muharraq offensive options and keeping them away from the paint. It worked pretty well as Al Wasl accumulated a 31:18 lead after the starting frame. Al Muharraq however stayed contestant in the second period as Donald Little (211-C-78, agency: EM-PA, college: Cincinnati) was on fire for Bahrain side. Al Wasl enjoyed a 12-point advantage at halftime but went on a run right after the break. Courtney Fields (206-F-82, college: Iona) and Herve Lamizana (208-F/C-81, college: Rutgers) teamed up to ignite a 33:16 rally from the Emirates outfit as Al Wasl cleared off to an insurmountable distance. Al Muharraq never threatened the lead in the fourth period and suffered their first loss at the tournament. Courtney Fields led Al Wasl with 25 points and 12 boards. Herve Lamizana had 19 points and 11 boards in a win. Donald Little answered with game-high 32 points and 10 boards in defeat. Al Wasl will now play against Al Qadsia in the final round of preliminary action. Al Muharraq will try to secure the second spot in the clash with the defending champions SABA Battery. Al Wasl win also meant that Al Qadsia will finish fourth in Pool B.

Al Wasl: Courtney Fields 25+12 boards, Herve Lamizana 19+11 boards, Ibrahim Ahmad 17
Al Muharraq: Donald Little 32+10 boards, Mohammad Mohammad 21

Al Muharraq beats Al Qadsia to stay on top of Pool B

Donald Little

by Eurobasket News - May 11, 2008

Al Muharraq - Al Qadsia 83:69 Bahrain powerhouse Al Muharraq extended their winning streak at the Asia Champions Cup in Kuwait. Yesterday they faced a touch challenge as they took on the hosting Al Qadsia in the third round of action. Al Qadsia looked forward rebounded quickly after the starting loss to SABA Battery to handle Dehadroon in the second round. With emotions flying high Al Qadsia took on Al Muharraq full of optimism.

Al Muharraq - Al Qadsia 83:69

Bahrain powerhouse Al Muharraq extended their winning streak at the Asia Champions Cup in Kuwait. Yesterday they faced a touch challenge as they took on the hosting Al Qadsia in the third round of action. Al Qadsia looked forward rebounded quickly after the starting loss to SABA Battery to handle Dehadroon in the second round. With emotions flying high Al Qadsia took on Al Muharraq full of optimism. But Bahrain outfit proved they should be taken seriously and left no chance for the home team to improve to 2-0 record in the ladder. The hosts jumped to a quick start as they enjoyed a 22:19 lead after on quarter of action. Al Muharraq struggled to adjust the defense and still trailed 35:37 at halftime. However Ebrahim Alderazi stepped up for the Al Muharraq to ignite a comeback effort in the second half. He led the charge for the visitors as they surged ahead in the third period. Moreover Al Muharraq finally managed to follow John Wojtaks defensive tasks and Al Qadsia started to lag behind. The visitors hit on all cylinders in the fourth period and easily ran away to safe distance at the end. Ebrahim Alderazi provided 20 points to lead Al Muharraq. Donald Little (211-C-78, agency: EM-PA, college: Cincinnati) scored 15 points, while Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)) and Mohammad Mohammad nailed 13 points apiece for the winners. Alpha Bangura (197-F/G-80, college: St.John's) and Abdul Aziz Mohammad drained 15 points apiece to pace Al Qadsia. Shayee Saeed (174-G-86) launched 14 points in a loss. Al Muharraq faces Al Wahl in the showdown in Pool B. Al Qadsia take a bye round today.

Al Muharraq: Ebrahim Alderazi 20, Donald Little 15, Rah-Shun Roberts 13, Mohammad Mohammad 13
Al Qadsia: Alpha Bangura 15, Abdul Aziz Mohammad 15, Shayee Saeed 14

Basketball clinic for juniors

by Yousef Ahmed - May 11, 2008

THE Philippine Embassy is holding a three-day basketball clinic for juniors starting on June 12 at the Muharraq Club Gym in Arad.

This year's event, entitled 'Hyper-Hoops Youth Summer Basketball Clinic 2008', will be held in co-operation with Bahrain Basketball Association and is open to all nationalities, male and female aged from eight to 18 years old.

The opening date promises to be a grand celebration as it falls on the 110th Year of the Philippine Independence Day.

Initial activities on June 12 will include various presentations from the Filipino Community and from the Philippine Embassy.

The activities will be divided into two levels. The first shall cater to new registrants where the basics of basketball will be taught, while the second shall be for old students where lessons will be advanced.

The participants will be handled by Alfrancis Chua, a former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coach.

SOURCE: GDN

Al Muharraq handles Dehradoon in Kuwait

RahShun Roberts

by Eurobasket News - May 9, 2008

Al Muharraq - Dehradoon 109:58 Bahrain powerhouse Al Muharraq won their opening game at the Asia Champions Cup in Kuwait. They overwhelmed Indias Dehradun in the preliminary Group B of the tournament. Al Muharraq relied mainly on import duo of Donald Little (211-C-78, agency: EM-PA, college: Cincinnati) and Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)) in their race for the win. The Bahrains outfit went on a 14:0 run and took over the control.

Al Muharraq - Dehradoon 109:58

Bahrain powerhouse Al Muharraq won their opening game at the Asia Champions Cup in Kuwait. They overwhelmed Indias Dehradun in the preliminary Group B of the tournament. Al Muharraq relied mainly on import duo of Donald Little (211-C-78, agency: EM-PA, college: Cincinnati) and Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)) in their race for the win. The Bahrains outfit went on a 14:0 run and took over the control. They rolled to a 29:8 lead after the starting quarter and kept on mounting the pressure on their counterparts. Al Muharraq built a 36-point advantage at halftime and breezed past their opponents in the second half. Al Muharraq fired 29 points in the third stanza with the outcome pretty vivid as the gap grew to 51 points. The Austrian specialist John Wojtak allowed the reserves to log some more minutes in the final period. Rah-Shun Roberts led all scorers with 23 points for Al Muharraq. Donald Little provided 18 points and 19 boards, while Mohamed Al Thaqafi contributed 12 points for the winning side. Mukkanniyil Anoop (198-C-86) answered with 15 points for Dehradoon. Mukesh Bhandari scored 12 points in a loss. Dehradoon will next take on the hosting Al Qadsia today. Al Muharraq will take on Al Qadsia on Saturday following a bye-round today.

Al Muharraq: Rah-Shun Roberts 23, Donald Little 18+19 boards, Mohamed Al Thaqafi 12
Dehradoon: Mukkanniyil Anoop 15, Mukesh Bhandari 12

Muharraq set for top Asian clubs clash

RahShun Roberts

by Yousef Ahmed - May 3, 2008

MUHARRAQ will head to Kuwait on Tuesday to make their second appearance in the 19th edition of the Asian Clubs Basketball Championship which gets underway in Kuwait on Thursday.

Ten strong teams, representing 10 countries from across the continent, are taking part in this prestigious competition to be hosted for the second time by Al Qadsia Club. The event concludes on May 16.

The teams were divided into two groups of five each. First round matches will be held in a round robin system with the winners and runners-up of each group booking berths in the semi-finals knock-out round.

The Bahrainis, who clinched their first ever league title last month beating 15-time champions Manama in a best-of-three series, are placed in a relatively tough Group 'B' besides hosts Al Qadsia, defending champions Saba Battery of Iran, India's ONGC and Al Wasl of the UAE.

Group 'A' comprises Qatari champions Al Rayyan, Zain of Jordan, Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut of Lebanon, Kazakhstan's BK Almaty Alma-Ata (KAZ) and Satria Muda Britama Jakarta of Indonesia.

Muharraq will kick off their campaign on Thursday when they take on ONGC. They then play Al Qadsia on Saturday before facing Saba Batry on May 11 and finally Al Wasl on May 12.

Meanwhile, Muharraq continued their preparations yesterday prior to their departure. The team recently signed former Manama's US player Donald Little who will play with his compatriot Rah-Shun Roberts (202-F-75, college: California (PA)).

The team also have prominent local players like Mohammed Hassan and Mohammed Abdulmajeed who both returned from Doha after playing as professionals during the GCC Clubs Championship which concluded last Wednesday.

Hassan, known in Bahrain as the 'King of three-pointers', led Al Arabi of Qatar to the title following an 80-76 victory over Al Qadsia in the final while Abdulmajeed played for Oman's Nazwa who failed to pass the first round.

SOURCE: GDN