Bahrain made a historic win by clinching its first-ever Gulf Basketball Association (GBA) senior men’s crown on Saturday, Sept. 7, at a jam-packed Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
This came after the Gulf region defeated Qatar, 73-68 thrilling finals.
The game saw an electrifying performance. The Kingdom’s young superstar tandem of Mustafa Hussain and Muzamil Ameer led the game, contributing 24 and 16 points to their team, respectively.
Hussain made five of his six three-pointers in the game, lighting up the court from beyond the arc. Along with his scoring outburst, Ameer also chipped in five rebounds and five assists.
In the game, Bahrain enjoyed a dominating 16-point lead,62–46, but they had to fend off a last-ditch effort from Qatar. Early in the quarter, a basket by Tyler Harris reduced the Bahrainis’ advantage to 10, 55-65 and continued with 64-69 through a series of winning shots.
But with just over a minute left, Hussain made two pressure-filled free throws, and with just over 20 seconds left, Clifton Alexander made two more charity shots to all but seal the victory.
While Mike Lewis’ triple helped Qatar close the deficit, the team still conceded in the end.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaitis sealed their bronze medal after winning over Saudi Arabia, 80-77, in the game for third place.