Road to BAL: Thunder remain perfect to qualify for crucial semis
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 29.11.24. | 22:00
Only one side in the eight-team competition, Uganda's City Oilers, has featured in BAL, failing to advance to the Playoffs on two occasions
Kenyan basketball champions Nairobi City Thunder thumped Cape Verde's Kriol Star 104-71 in their second game of Group A at the ongoing East Division Elite 16 to assure themselves a ticket to the all-important Last Four set for Monday 2 December at Kasarani Indoor Arena.
The Kenyan side is chasing a maiden Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualification at their first time of asking. Should they win their semis match, the Bradley Ibs-coached side will make history for Kenya as the first side to reach the premier African men's club competition.
Nigerien international Abdoulaye Harouna got the action going with a trey as the opening two minutes became a trey clinic with Patrick McGlynn responding Garang Diing and Kenneti Mendes following suit for six-all.
The game was tied again on 10 before skipper Tylor Ongwae orchestrated an 8-point run, scoring five with Harouna dropping his second trey forcing the Islanders into a timeout.
McGlynn added back-to-back treys for the Cape Verdians but the home side maintained their tempo for a 24-16 first quarter.
.jpg)
Two and a half minutes into the second quarter Ibs' charges were 33-18 up and, Albert Odero led the onslaught with five before being subbed off moments later as Thunder was brought back into the starting squad.
Ater Majok's three-point play, a dunk that sent Nyayo Gymnasium wild, and a resulting free-throw as he was fouled by Mendes doubled the lead at 40-20, halfway through the second period, for the Kenyan champions.
Rwandese sensation Dieudonne Ndayisaba Ndizeye scored a quick five for 41-25 but Diing drove to the Basketball twice to restore Thunder's lead at 45-25, Uche Iroegbu denying Joel Almeida shortly after for the score to remain.
Harouna's treble clinic for Kriol continued as he took Thunder to 51-25, Ndizeye going for a three-point play after being fouled on a layup, Ali Lahrichi dropping a trey to keep the difference at 20 (51-31) with seconds to play.
A contest basket for the Kenyan side sent the referees for a video review, the score remaining as the match took a 15-minute halftime break.
.jpg)
The home side dominated the paint in the opening half 26-06 and despite Kriol shooting 6-of-13 from range, three from McGlynn, the Kenyan side still dominated.
Skipper Ongwae got the action going with a reverse layup but it was his and Diing's treys two minutes later that got the crowd going as Thunder led 62-35, Iroegbu further taking Thunder to 69-37 to see the Kenyans lead by 32 with three minutes to play in the quarter.
Ndizeye scored four down the stretch as the quarter ended 72-48.
A 32-20 final quarter sealed Thunder's second 100+ points win, having opened the action with a 102-59 show against South Africa's MBB Blue Soldiers.
.jpg)
