Al-Muharraq claimed the top spot in the Zain Basketball League’s preliminary round after a dominant 86-68 victory over Manama. The match marked the conclusion of the first stage of the competition.
The game unfolded with Manama taking an early lead in the first quarter, winning 18-13. However, Al-Muharraq quickly regained control in the second quarter, outscoring Manama 29-14. They continued their strong performance, winning the remaining two quarters, 22-16 and 22-20. This allowed them to secure a commanding win and assert their dominance in the match.
With this victory, Al-Muharraq rose to the top of the standings in the preliminary round, setting up a clash with Al-Najma in the semifinals. The match will be part of the “Best of 3” series. In addition, Al-Muharraq will face Ahli in the quarterfinals of the Khalifa Bin Salman Cup, set to begin on April 18.
On the other hand, Manama finished in second place in the standings. They will meet Ahli in the semifinals of the Zain League and will face Al-Hala in the quarterfinals of the Khalifa Bin Salman Cup.
In the other matches of the day, Al-Najma defeated Ahli 92-84, while Al-Hala won a tight battle against Al-Ittihad, securing an 86-84 victory. Despite the results, the league standings remained unchanged.
Both Ahli (third place) and Al-Najma (fourth place) officially secured their spots in the semifinals, and both teams will also continue playing in the first division next season. In contrast, Al-Ittihad (sixth place) was relegated to the second division, making way for Nuwaidrat, the second division champions, to take their place. The final spot in next season’s top six will be determined through a “Best of 3” series between Al-Hala (fifth place) and Al-Samahij (second division runner-up), with each team allowed only one foreign player.
Furthermore, Al-Najma will face Nuwaidrat in the quarterfinals of the Khalifa Bin Salman Cup. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad will take on Al-Samahij in another quarterfinal match. All teams are aiming to make their mark before the season concludes.
Al-Muharraq’s victory placed them in an excellent position to reach the next stage of the Zain Basketball League and pursue further glory.
