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Upsets dominate BAL quarterfinals
Petro de Luanda are into the final four. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
The last game of the quarterfinals saw last season’s finalists AS Douanes squander a 20-point advantage in the fourth quarter to lose by a single point to Petro de Luanda.
Three of the four teams in this year’s Basketball Africa League semifinals are in unfamiliar territory.
Apart from Petro de Luanda, who have made it to this stage in all previous seasons, the rest were only qualifying for the last four for the very first time.
Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya, South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers and Rivers Hoopers from Nigeria are all on course in Kigali, Rwanda.
Benghazi, who lost twice to last year’s winners Al Ahly in the Nile Conference, got their revenge when it mattered most, defeating the Egyptian giants 86-77 to reach the semis.
Majok Machar Deng contributed 25 points and 10 rebounds while Lual Lual Acuil added another double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Libyans ran riot.
New addition Robert Golden also got in on the act with 23 points and 10 assists to send Al Ahly back home and Benghazi to the semis in their debut season.
If the Benghazi win over Al Ahly was supposed to send a message to the rest, FUS Rabat must have missed that.
The Kalahari Conference winners were overwhelming favourites against Cape Town Tigers but ended up on the plane back home after a 91-88 overtime defeat.
Samkelo Cele was the star for the South African, recording a game-high 30 points and adding nine rebounds to send the Tigers to the Final Four.
Rabat were highly rated and expected to challenge the top order for the title but it is the Tigers with an opportunity to make the finals.
Meanwhile Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers sent 2022 champions US Monastir packing Monday evening.
Led by Will Perry, who scored 33 points on the night, Rivers Hoopers defeated Monastir 92-88 to advance to the semis.
Marcus Crawford’s 31 points and nine assists were not enough for Monastir, who missed the playoffs last season.
The last game of the quarterfinals saw last season’s finalists AS Douanes squander a 20-point advantage in the fourth quarter to lose by a single point to Petro de Luanda.
Nicholas Faust had the final say with two big plays, a three to level matters (64-64) with 38 seconds remaining and a lay-up with eight seconds left, to win it 66-65 for the Angolans.
The victory was Petro’s revenge, having fallen to AS Douanes 92-86 last season in the semis.
Results from the quarterfinals can only mean one thing, the BAL will have a new winner this season, with past winners, US Monastir and Al Ahly, all on their way back home.
Rivers Hoopers will now face Al Ahly Benghazi in the semis while Cape Town Tigers go up against Petro de Luanda.
Basketball Africa League
Quarterfinal results
Al Ahly 77-86 Al Ahly Benghazi
FUS Rabat 88-91 Cape Town Tigers
Rivers Hoopers 92-88 US Monastir
AS Douanes 65-66 Petro de Luanda
Semifinal fixtures (Wednesday)
Rivers Hoopers vs. Al Ahly Benghazi, 6pm
Petro de Luanda vs. Cape Town Tigers, 9pm
