The Basketball Africa League’s Sahara Conference continued at the Dakar Arena in Senegal on Sunday night with Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers defeating Rwanda’s Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) 86-82, which marked their first two consecutive wins in the league.
It was a game of will throughout, with both sides exchanging baskets down the stretch, but it was the Hoopers who were celebrating at the final whistle.
Will Perry set the tone finishing with 31 points, while Devine Eke added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Hoopers, who are now the only undefeated team in the conference.
John Wilkins missed four free throws in the fourth quarter’s closing seconds, but APR could not turn their fortunes around.
Obadiah Noel led APR with 32 points and seven rebounds, Dario Hunt got 14 points and five rebounds, and captain William Robeyns finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. With one win and one loss, APR are currently third in the Sahara Conference.
The second game of the day brought much excitement, with home team AS Douanes beating Tunisia’s US Monastir 76-59.
Abdoulaye Harouna scored a game-high 35 points, taking over offensively when it mattered most for the Douanes, who recorded their first win. Former NBA Academy Africa player Jean Jacques Boissy ended up with 11 points and eight assists.
George Williams led Monastir with 16 points, with Ater Majok dominating the game on the boards (13 rebounds), but the 2022 BAL champions are still looking for their first win in this year’s campaign.
The Sahara Conference will continue on wednesday when US Monastir take on Rivers Hoopers at 4:00 p.m. GMT, while APR will face AS Douanes at 7 p.m. GMT.