Ahli rally late to claim crucial overtime win

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Al Ahli posted a crucial, come-from-behind 87-82 victory in overtime against Al Najma last night in the Top Six round of the 2023/2024 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.

Ahli ended regulation with a furious 16-4 run in the last seven minutes, capped by a pair of Arnett Moultrie free-throws that tied it at 78-apiece and sent the game into the extra session.

There, three straight points from Moultrie helped them go ahead 83-81, and then a Sarhan lay-up helped Ahli extend their lead to 85-82 with 50 seconds left. Malik Winelglass iced the contest with a pair of charity shots with four seconds to go.

Earlier, Najma used a strong second-quarter performance to overturn a 19-25 deficit at the end of the first and take a 42-37 lead into the half. They continued their fine play in the third, when they went up by 15 points, 56-41, on an Elijah Robinson lay-up, which helped them stay ahead 66-53 heading into the final frame.

That set the stage for Ahli’s end-game rally. Subah Hussain top scored for Ahli with 21 points while Moultrie added 20 and Wineglass had 16. Robinson led Najma with 27 in the loss. With the result, Ahli improved to a 3-1 win-loss record to tie with leaders and defending champions Manama, virtually securing their place in the Golden Square semi-finals.

Najma, on the other hand, dropped their second game but are still in the hunt for the final four. In another Top Six game, Manama manhandled Al Hala 100-48. The victors led by as many as 54 points late in their game, in which all 12 of their players made it onto the scoresheet. Travin Thibodeaux scored 16 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and registered five steals.

Ali Jaber chipped in with 15 while Ahmed Salman and Yusuf Almurbati each finished with 11. Ahmed Khalifa and Hussain Jan had 12 a piece to lead Hala. The fourth week of the Top Six wraps up tonight with Muharraq taking on Al Ettihad in a game both teams must win to help boost their chances of advancing to the Golden Square.