Asia-Basket.com All-Bahrain League Awards 2019 - Mar 31, 2019
Asia-Basket.com All-Bahrain League 1st Team 2019
Aldurazi
Kawaid
Jones
Chism
Ilic
Finals MVP: Kevin Murphy (197-G-90) of Muharraq Regular Season MVP: Marcel Jones (203-F-85) of Al-Ahli Guard of the Year: Ahmed Aldurazi of Muharraq Forward of the Year: Marcel Jones (203-F-85) of Al-Ahli Center of the Year: Mile Ilic (215-C-84) of Al-Ittihad Import Player of the Year: Marcel Jones (203-F-85) of Al-Ahli Domestic Player of the Year: Ahmed Aldurazi of Muharraq Most Improved Player: Ahmed Salman of Isa Town Co-Coach of the Year: Ivan Jeremic of Muharraq Co-Coach of the Year: Dejan Tomic of Al-Ittihad
MUHARRAQ were last night crowned champions of this year's Zain Bahrain Basketball League. They clinched the crown following a 100-96 overtime victory over Riffa in game three of their best-of-five championship series. Muharraq were dominant in a virtually one-sided extra session yesterday, closing out strong and claiming a clean 3-0 sweep of the finals. With the result, the winners, who are coached by Serbian Ivan Jeremic (agency: BeoBasket ), took home their first league title since 2012, and also their third in the history of the national competition. Among those present at the game were Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Bahrain Basketball Association President Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. They presented the two teams their respective medals and trophies in an awarding ceremony at a packed Khalifa Sports City arena in Isa Town. Muharraq skipper Ahmed Hassan Aldurazi received the league trophy on behalf of his team. The American duo of Kevin Murphy (197-G-90, college: Tenn Tech) and Mike Harris (198-SF-83, college: Rice) combined for 59 of Muharraq's points in the win. Murphy was on fire with 37, including an impressive 16-for-18 shooting from the free-throw line. He also had eight rebounds and four steals. Harris chipped in with a monster effort of 22 points and 17 boards. The Bahraini backcourt of Aldurazi and Bader Malabes (183-G-87) also had key contributions. Aldurazi scored 16 points while playing all 45 minutes of the contest. Bader Malabes added 13 while firing in three three-pointers. For Riffa, their American tandem of Shawne Williams (206-F-86, college: Memphis) and Arinze Onuaku (206-C-87, college: Syracuse) had 54 points between them, but their efforts alone were not enough to get their team over the hump. Williams led the way with 33 points and 10 boards while Onuaku had 21 and 10. Onuaku fouled out in the first minute of overtime, leaving a huge void in the interior for Riffa. Mohammed Bullayallay had 13 markers while Mohammed Kuwayed had 11 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists in the loss. Muharraq began the game the aggressors and took a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Riffa, who are coached by American and former NBA champion Sam Vincent , turned the tables in the second and powered ahead 42-38 by half-time. Riffa enjoyed their biggest lead of 12 in the third following an Onuaku basket that made it 64-52, but Muharraq fought back and managed to get to within 60-66 after three. In the final canto, Muharraq quickly tied the game at 66-apiece on a Harris triple. A Bader Malabes basket from long range then gave them a 69-68 advantage, and later another Bader Malabes three-pointer put Muharraq up 78-68 to cap a game-changing 12-0 run. Riffa answered, however, and an 8-0 rally got them to within two. With less than a minute to go, Muharraq led 81-79, but a pair of pressure-packed free-throws from Riffa forward Mohammed Bullayallay with nine seconds left tied it and forced the extra five-minute period. In overtime, Muharraq went on an 8-1 run to go in front 91-84 with two minutes left. Two Murphy free-throws hen made it 97-88 with 37 seconds to play, but then baskets from Kuwayed and Buallay were able to reduce the margin in the end but they had no effect on the game's outcome. Courtesy of: gdnonline.com
Riffa kings of hardcourt! - Apr 14, 2019
RIFFA roared to an emphatic 76-61 victory over Muharraq last night to lift this year's Khalifa bin Salman Cup. Nicknamed 'The Lions', Riffa stunned their opponents with a dominant performance in the highly anticipated single-game final and made good on their claim as the kings of Bahrain's basketball jungle. Riffa led by as many as 19 points in the contest and had all the answers whenever Muharraq threatened to make any kind of comeback. The result earned Riffa their first-ever championship in any national basketball competition. It also avenged the three-game sweep they suffered against Muharraq in the best-of-five finals of the league last month. Presenting Riffa the Khalifa bin Salman Cup and their individual medals were Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Bahrain Basketball Association president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. Shaikh Isa bin Salman and Shaikh Isa bin Ali also handed over the medals to runners-up Muharraq. Aside from the prestigious cup and their other silverware, Riffa also came away with a cool BD30,000 in prize money. Muharraq won BD15,000. American Arinze Onuaku (206-C-87, college: Syracuse), Senegalese Mansour Kasse (208-C-92) and Bahraini stars Mohammed Buallay and Kuwayed brothers Mohammed and Younes were the main protagonists for Riffa. Onuaku top scored for his team with 23 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Buallay chipped in with 18 markers including three three-pointers, as he also did well to orchestrate Riffa's offence being their designated ball-handler. Mohammed Kuwayed added 15 and seven rebounds while playing the full 40 minutes, and Younes had seven points and six rebounds. Kasse finished with nine markers and 18 boards as he and Onuaku controlled the paint for Riffa. Only two players scored in double-figures for Muharraq, as the sweet perimeter-marksmanship they are so well known for went completely missing last night. Americans Kevin Murphy (197-G-90, college: Tenn Tech) and Mike Harris (198-SF-83, college: Rice) combined for 39 of their total output, with 28 coming from Murphy including 13 rebounds. Murphy almost single-handedly kept his team hopeful for a late surge, but it never came. Their shooting woes were evident in their 23-for-68 game total. More than half of their attempts came from behind the three-point line, where they shot a dismal eight-for-35 for a 22 per cent clip. Muharraq's Bahraini stars were off for the night, with Bader Abdulla Malabes and Ahmed Aldurazi (G) both finishing with just three points. Mohammed Juma'a had eight points and Mohammed Aldurazi had six off the bench. Muharraq took their only lead of the fixture, 5-4, at the beginning of the first quarter, which Riffa ended up 22-14. The victors managed to stretch their lead to 40-25 at the half, but in the third, Muharraq got back to within 10 although Kasse buried a triple right before the quarter buzzer to make it 59-46 heading into the final canto. Muharraq again cut Riffa's lead to 10 on a Murphy lay-up, but that was as close as they would get until the end and Mohammed Kuwayed swished in a three-pointer to further deflate their hopes. Courtesy of: gdnonline.com
Manama win Super Cup - Sep 27, 2018
MANAMA lifted the Zain Super Cup last night after defeating bitter rivals Muharraq 72-66 at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam. It was a game of runs between two of the kingdom's top clubs, but it was Manama who came up with the key plays in the end en route to securing the prestigious trophy for the fourth year in a row. The Super Cup is the traditional curtain-raiser to the new Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) season. In attendance last night were BBA President Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, General Organisation for Youth and Sports President Hisham Mohammed Al Jowder, and other high-ranking officials from the BBA and both clubs. After leading by as many as 15 points in the third period, Manama appeared to be cruising to another trophy to add to their already glittering collection. But Muharraq would not go down easily and were able to fight back to within five points heading into the final quarter. Muharraq cut the deficit to just two, 60-62, after an Ali Abbas three-pointer with just over five minutes remaining in the game. But Manama responded well and baskets from American professional Wayne Chism (206-PF-87, college: Tennessee) and Bahrainis Ahmed Najaf (196-C/F-91) and Ahmed Aziz helped them go back ahead 71-62 with just over two minutes to play. Muharraq got back to within six in the final minute but could not reduce the gap any further. Manama had opened the game with a 7-0 run but Muharraq replied with eight straight points, including two three-pointers from guard Bader Abdulla Bader Malabes (183-G-87). Manama, however, enjoyed another unanswered rally, scoring 10 straight to go up 17-8, capped by a two-handed slam dunk by big man Mohammed Ameer. They led 17-13 at the end of the period and in the second took a 32-24 lead after a Sadiq Shukrallah triple. Muharraq were able to keep things close, however, and they reduced their deficit to just one point, 33-34, by half time. Manama opened the third quarter with another 10-0 spurt to take a commanding 44-33 lead and ultimately go up by 15, 56-41, but Muharraq were able to fight back behind the strong play of bench players Jehad and Kadhem Majed (182-F-84) and were able to close the period with their own 10-0 surge to go behind by just five, 56-51. That paved the way for the closely fought final canto. Manama, coached by Bahraini Aqeel Milad, had a balanced attack in the contest and finished with four players in double figures. Chism had 14 points and 14 rebounds while skipper Hussain Mohammed (PG) added 12. Ameer and new addition Hussain Shaker contributed 10 points apiece, with Shaker also dishing out eight assists. For Muharraq, who are coached by Alen Abaz from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ahmed Hassan (203-F-91, college: MiraCosta JC) with their top scorer with 16 points and five assists before fouling out. Bader Malabes had 12 points, Ali Abbas came off the bench to add 11, and former NBA player Sean Williams (208-F-86, college: Boston Coll.) finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in the loss. Following the Super Cup, the stage is now set for the Zain Bahrain Basketball League, which is scheduled to tip off soon. Courtesy of: gdnonline.com
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