Bahrain in final

Bahrain are one victory away from making history and claiming their first-ever Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) title at the senior men’s level. The kingdom’s national team powered past their counterparts from Kuwait 76-67 last night at a rocking and jam-packed Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, setting up an exciting clash with Qatar for the gold medals in the GBA Championship for National Teams 2024. The Bahrainis made the big plays in a thrilling fourth quarter where the Kuwaitis cut the deficit to just four points with four minutes remaining. But Mohammed Ameer replied with a crucial three-pointer to restore a seven-point lead, 69-62, and after Kuwait’s Omran Jawhar missed a pair of free-throws, another triple – this time by Muzamil Ameer – gave the hosts a 10-point advantage with just under three minutes to play. “There are no excuses now – we are one game away from the gold and from history for Bahrain,” Bahrain head coach Jad El Hajj told the GDN post-game. “We have to be ready in less than 24 hours. We know the recovery needed, and mentally we should be prepared.” The final is set to be a rematch of Bahrain’s two-point victory over the Qataris during the preliminary round, and El Hajj is expecting nothing less than another tough fight in tonight’s contest, which is scheduled for a 7.30pm tip-off. “We know Qatar; they’ve had a great tournament so far,” El Hajj said. “We won our game with a buzzer-beater, it was a close game until the last moment, and tomorrow it’s going to be the same. “We’re going to come and fight for history, not just to win the game.” Bahrain led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter after a Maitham Jameel lay-up made it 57-40. They took a 59-44 cushion into the final canto, but the Qataris battled and cut into the gap. Earlier in the contest, the nationals were firing on all cylinders coming out of the gate. A Mohammed Ameer triple made it 18-4, and they led 23-16 after the first period. They stayed ahead 36-29 at the half. Big man Cliff Alexander (203-C/F-1995, college: Kansas, agency: MSG) led five Bahrain players in double figures with 19 points while also taking down 11 rebounds. Mohammed Ameer chipped in with 16 while Muzamil Ameer had 13. Skipper Maitham Jameel scored 11 points and Mustafa Hussain had 10. Abdulaziz Alhamidi (190-SG-1987) paced Kuwait with 13 points, while Alexander Alghais had 11.
Courtesy of: gdnonline.com