Bahrain’s Al Hala Slip To Second Defeat

TDT | Manama

Email: hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Al Sharjah survive furious rally to beat Bahrain’s Al Hala

Bahrain’s Al Hala endured another tough night at the 26th Arab Women’s Clubs Championship in Medina, slipping to another agonizing defeat (87-88) against UAE’s Al Sharjah yesterday. The result came a day after the Bahraini ladies' opening 74-76 loss to Algeria’s Association du Groupement Sportif Cosider.

Sharjah Take Control

Al Hala led 21-20 after the first quarter, but Sharjah seized control in the middle periods. The UAE's ladies outscored Al Hala in the second quarter to lead 43-34 at half, then extended that cushion in the third to a daunting 69-51. Sharjah’s ball movement and timely shooting built a buffer that looked decisive heading into the final frame.

Late Hala Charge

The fourth quarter became an all-out offensive onslaught. Al Hala’s Yacine Diop spearheaded a 36-point revival — repeatedly scoring inside, knocking down free throws and sparking the comeback with key contributions from Bayan Salman. Al Hala trimmed the gap to a single point in the closing minutes, but Al Sharjah held on as Rebecca Akl supplied the decisive late buckets. Diop finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists; UAE's Akl answered with a match-winning 39 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

By the Numbers

The statistics reflected how finely balanced the contest was. Al Sharjah edged the battle on the boards, 47 to Hala’s 44, but the Bahrainis moved the ball better with 24 assists compared to A; Sharjah’s 17. Turnovers were nearly even, with 10 for Al Hala and nine for Al Sharjah. Defensively, Al Sharjah registered more steals (six to three), while Al Hala protected the paint with six blocks to Al Sharjah’s three. Foul trouble also played its part, as Al Hala were whistled 23 times against Sharjah’s 16.

Momentum swung back and forth throughout: each team enjoyed nine lead changes, and while Sharjah’s biggest advantage reached 18 points, Al Hala never led by more than five. Sharjah spent nearly half an hour ahead on the clock, but Hala’s late 12-0 run nearly flipped the result before time ran out.

Next up

Al Hala now turn to Saudi hosts Al Ula tonight at 7pm (Bahrain time). They then face Al Fatat (Sunday, 5pm) and Fuheis SC (Monday, 5pm) before a two-day break and a final preliminary fixture against Al Qurain next Thursday (3pm). The top two teams after the first stage will contest gold on the final day, while third and fourth place meet for bronze.

Hala’s roster features Senegalese star Yacine Diop, American professional Alexa Hart, Bayan Salman, Aya Kamali, and a supporting group including Amina Saleem, Seema Hasan, Maryam Ebrahim, Jameela Ebrahim, Aysha Alhadi, Shirin Madwar and Ghadeer Alarayedh.