In a thrilling match-up at the Dakar Arena on Thursday, May 9, Mazen Trakh’s APR Basketball Club faced off against US Monastir in the ongoing Basketball Africa League 2024 Sahara Conference. This time, however, it was US Monastir who emerged victorious, defeating APR 83-70.
For US Monastir, this victory not only marked their first win in the tournament but also ended a three-game losing streak. It injected new hope into the Tunisian team’s campaign, reigniting their chances of qualifying for the playoffs in Kigali.
The game started with the Rwandan champions, APR, taking an early 7-0 lead. However, US Monastir remained resilient throughout the match, never losing patience despite trailing for most of the game.
APR faced a setback when Dario Hunt was benched after accumulating his fourth foul late in the third quarter. His absence significantly impacted APR’s performance, and despite his return in the fourth quarter, they couldn’t recover from the deficit. Hunt eventually fouled out with 4:22 minutes remaining.
Chris Crawford’s three-pointer extended US Monastir’s lead to 69-56 with less than five minutes left on the clock, effectively sealing APR’s fate.
Hunt led APR’s scoring with 17 points, supported by Obadiah Noel’s 15 points, but their efforts were not enough to secure a victory.
The defeat jeopardizes APR’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in Kigali, although they still have two more games to salvage their campaign.
Reflecting on the loss, APR guard Adonis Filer acknowledged their defensive lapses and missed opportunities. “We couldn’t get stops; we gave up some offensive rebounds and we couldn’t make any baskets,” he admitted. Despite the loss, Filer praised US Monastir as a formidable opponent.
Both APR and US Monastir will return to action on Saturday, facing Rivers Hoopers and AS Douanes, respectively, after a day’s rest on Friday.
In another thrilling match on Thursday, AS Douanes secured a narrow 56-54 victory over Rivers Hoopers, with Mike Fofana scoring a buzzer-beater to clinch the win for the home side, delighting the Senegalese crowd at the Dakar Arena.
