The Kalahari Conference of this year’s Basketball Africa League came to an end on Sunday, with Morocco’s FUS de Rabat claiming an 84-75 win over the Cape Town Tigers of South Africa.
The Moroccans headed into the halftime break with a 37-34 lead at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. Although the Tigers won the third quarter 25-22, FUS got the deserved victory with a 25-16 win.
Johnathan Devante Jordan led the Rabat outfit with 19 points while shooting 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. Aliou Diarra finished with a 16-point and 11-rebound double-double; team captain Abdelhakim Zouita ended the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds; and Kendrick Brown (11 points) and Ayoub Nouhi (11 points) combined for 22 points.
For Cape Town, Samkelo Cele led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 50% from the field and 3-of-6 from the 3-point line. Billy Preston got 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and four steals, while Nkosinathi Sibanyoni finished with six points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
???????????? FUS Rabat dominates the Kalahari Conference, securing their place in the BAL Playoffs & Finals in Kigali! ✈️???????? #BAL4 #theBAL pic.twitter.com/w25B9PkKzU
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) March 17, 2024
The win ensured FUS de Rabat, led by Said El Bouzidi, finished with seven points after three wins and a defeat from four games, while the Tigers, who won once and lost three games, ended with five points.
The Moroccan side also finished atop the Kalahari Conference, securing automatic qualification to the playoffs, while Cape Town, who ended in third place, will be waiting on results from the Nile and Sahara Conferences to determine if they will progress as one of the three best third-placed teams.
???????????? FUS Rabat and ???????????? Petro de Luanda advance to the BAL Playoffs & Finals in Rwanda, while ???????????? Cape Town Tigers await their fate, as they eye one of the two wildcard spots for the best third-placed teams.
It’s all eyes on the Sahara and Nile Conferences for the final spots!… pic.twitter.com/sMCDDDFirM— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) March 18, 2024
Angolan side Petro de Luanda were the other team in the Kalahari Conference to book automatic qualification to the playoffs despite losing 84-78 to the Tigers on Saturday.
???????????? Petro de Luanda finishes second in the Kalahari Conference and earns their spot for the BAL Playoffs & Finals in Kigali! #BAL4 pic.twitter.com/BqIUxKRay4
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) March 17, 2024
The Nile Conference, which is slated to begin on April 19, is up next, before the Sahara Conference, which commences on May 4, while the playoffs of the BAL fourth season begin on May 24.
