2021 BAL finals

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2021 BAL Final
2021 BAL Finals program.png
Official promotional material for the game [1]
Event 2021 BAL season
US Monastir Zamalek
Flag of Tunisia.svg Flag of Egypt.svg
(5–0)(5–0)
63 76
Head coach:
Mounir Ben Slimane
Head coach:
Augustí Julbe
1234Total
US Monastir 222091263
Zamalek 1727112176
Date30 May 2021
Venue Kigali Arena, Kigali, Rwanda
MVP Walter Hodge
Favorite US Monastir (1.70 decimal odds) [2]
Referees
  • Samir Abaakil (Morocco)
  • Marie Leslie Cherubin (Mauritius)
  • Kingsley Ojeaburu (Nigeria)
Attendance1,789 [3]
2022  

The 2021 BAL Finals was the championship game of the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The final was played in the Kigali Arena in Kigali on 30 May 2021. The game was played between Egyptian club Zamalek and Tunisian club US Monastir.

Contents

Due to COVID-19 pandemic regulations, attendance in the arena was limited and 1,789 people were present. [3] Zamalek defeated Tunisian side Monastir 76–63 to win its first BAL championship and second African championship, having won the 1992 continental title. As such, the team qualified for the 2021 FIBA Intercontinental Cup. Zamalek's Walter Hodge was named league MVP after the final.

Teams

TeamPrevious final appearances (bold indicates winners)
Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir None
Flag of Egypt.svg Zamalek None
3 in FIBA Africa Basketball League (1975, 1976, 1992)

Venue

On 1 August 2019, the Kigali Arena, built and opened in 2019, was announced as host of the Final Four of the BAL tournament. [4] The arena has a capacity for approximately 10,000 people and hosted the AfroBasket 2021 qualifiers and Rwandan National Basketball League before.

The format of the league was later changed and the entire season was eventually played in Kigali. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance was limited and all spectators had to follow social distancing rules.

Kigali
2021 BAL finals (Africa)
Kigali Arena
Capacity: 10,000
BK ARENA (cropped).jpg

Background

US Monastir

US Monastir won the Pro A in 2019, to qualify for the inaugural BAL season. The team has also won the championship in 2020 and won the 2020–21 season on 27 April 2021, after defeating rivals Ezzahra Sports in the finals. [5] to achieve a total of 6 titles in the league. On April 12, 2021, the team signed Mounir Ben Slimane as its new head coach. [6]

In 2014, Monastir made its debut in the FIBA Africa Club Championship, Africa's top continental league, for the first time. [7] In 2017, the club ended at third place in the continental league. [8]

The Monastir team featured seven players who were also members of the Tunisian national team. During the BAL, the team impressed in the group stage by beating all its opponents and being the only team to achieve more than 100 points in a single game as they beat GNBC of Madagascar by 113 to 66. They qualified as the first seed to the play-offs and were deemed as "favourites" for the title prior to the league start by ESPN . [9]

Zamalek

It was the first season as head coach for Augusti Julbe Agusti Julbe Anadolu Efes S.K. 20171215.jpg
It was the first season as head coach for Augustí Julbe

Zamalek won the Egyptian Super League in 2019, its first title in 11 years, to qualify for the inaugural BAL season. In the 1990s, the club had been successful at the continental level as well with a FIBA Africa Basketball League title in 1992 and a lost final in 1998. Adding up appearances in the former FIBA competition, this was Zamalek's fifth continental final.

It was the first season under Spanish head coach Augustí Julbe, who arrived from Gran Canaria. At the moment of playing in the BAL, Zamalek was still active in the semifinals of the 2020–21 Egyptian League. [10] Ahead of the season, the team strengthened itself with Michael Fakuade, [11] Mouloukou Diabate [12] and Chinemelu Elonu. [13] The team played impressive in the group stage, beating all three opponents to go into the playoffs as the second seed.

Road to the finals

Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir Round Flag of Egypt.svg Zamalek
OpponentResult Group stage OpponentResult
Flag of Madagascar.svg GNBC 113–66Round 1 Flag of Mozambique.svg Ferroviário de Maputo 71–55
Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers 99–70Round 2 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 86–62
Flag of Rwanda.svg Patriots 91–75Round 3 Flag of Algeria.svg GS Pétroliers 97–64
Group A first place
PosTeamPldPts
1 Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir 36
2 Flag of Rwanda.svg Patriots (H)35
3 Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers 34
4 Flag of Madagascar.svg GNBC 33
Source: BAL
(H) Hosts
Regular season Group C first place
PosTeamPldPts
1 Flag of Egypt.svg Zamalek 36
2 Flag of Mozambique.svg Ferroviário de Maputo 35
3 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 34
4 Flag of Algeria.svg GS Pétroliers 33
Source: BAL
OpponentResult Playoffs OpponentResult
Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 86–62Quarterfinals Flag of Cameroon.svg FAP 82–53
Flag of Rwanda.svg Patriots 87–64Semifinals Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda 89–71

Game

While US Monastir was favored ahead of the game, Zamalek convincingly took the final game. [9] Zamalek guard Mohab Yasser, the youngest player in the BAL season at 18 years old, contributed 14 points after shooting 6-for-8 from the field. The trio of Solo Diabate, Michael Fakuade and Chinemelu Elonu added 40 points off the bench. With eight minutes to play, Zamalek opened up a 15-point lead and cruised its way to their first BAL victory. Zamalek point guard Walter Hodge scored 12 points and recorded 4 assists and was given the inaugural BAL Most Valuable Player award. Hodge had played for US Monastir the previous season.

30 May 2021 US Monastir Flag of Tunisia.svg 6376 Flag of Egypt.svg Zamalek Kigali
16:00 CAT (14:00 GMT)Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 20–27, 9–11, 12–21
Pts: Ben Romdhane, Crawford 14
Rebs: Ben Romdhane 10
Asts: Abada 5
PIR: Three players 12
Report
Pts: Fakuade 15
Rebs: Elonu 12
Asts: Diabate 6
PIR: Elonu 22
Arena: Kigali Arena
Attendance: 1,789
Referees: Samir Abaakil (Morocco), Marie Leslie Cherubin (Mauritius), Kingsley Ojeaburu (Nigeria)


Starters:PtsRebAst
PG 00 Flag of Tunisia.svg Omar Abada 1345
SG 5 Flag of Tunisia.svg Mourad El Mabrouk 230
SF 15 Flag of Tunisia.svg Radhouane Slimane 14101
PF 24 Flag of Tunisia.svg Makrem Ben Romdhane 145
C 21 Flag of South Sudan.svg Ater Majok 360
Reserves:
G 1 Flag of Tunisia.svg Neji Jaziri DNP
G 2 Flag of the United States.svg Chris Crawford 1431
G 10 Flag of Lebanon.svg Wael Arakji 1312
F 11 Flag of Tunisia.svg Oussama Marnaoui DNP
G 22 Flag of Tunisia.svg Eskander Bhouri DNP
F 23 Flag of Tunisia.svg Firas Lahyani 000
C 32 Flag of Tunisia.svg Mokhtar Ghyaza 251
Head coach:
Flag of Tunisia.svg Mounir Ben Slimane
Kit body.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts.png
Kit shorts.svg
Monastir
Kit body.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts whitebottom.png
Kit shorts.svg
Zamalek

MonastirStatisticsZamalek
17/43 (39%)2-pt field goals 24/38 (63%)
4/23 (17%)3-pt field goals 7/24 (29%)
17/26 (65%) Free throws 7/12 (58%)
15Offensive rebounds8
25Defensive rebounds32
40Total rebounds40
12Assists15
18Turnovers19
8Steals5
4Blocks5
17Fouls26


2021 BAL champions
Flag of Egypt.svg
Zamalek
1st BAL title; 2nd continental title
Starters:PtsRebAst
PG 00 Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg Walter Hodge 1214
SG 2 Flag of Egypt.svg Mohab Yasser 1432
SF 12 Flag of Egypt.svg Eslam Salem 010
PF 10 Flag of Egypt.svg Anas Mahmoud 562
C 50 Flag of Egypt.svg Mostafa Kejo 030
Reserves:
G 1 Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Mouloukou Diabate 1436
G 14 Flag of Egypt.svg Ahmed Hatem DNP
G 15 Flag of Egypt.svg Omar Hesham 520
F 23 Flag of Egypt.svg Ahmed Abdelwahab 000
C 24 Flag of Nigeria.svg Michael Fakuade 1521
F 41 Flag of Egypt.svg Haytham Elsaharty DNP
C 42 Flag of Nigeria.svg Chinemelu Elonu 11120
Head coach:
Flag of Spain.svg Augustí Julbe

References

  1. Basketball Africa League [@theBAL] (29 May 2021). "THE BAL FINALS TOMORROW AT 4 PM/CAT ⚡🏆! GAME ON! @ZSCOfficial_EN 🇪🇬vs @usmonastir_org 🇹🇳 https://t.co/fwisdNXxwT" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021 via Twitter.
  2. "BAL 2021 Results & Historical Odds, Basketball Africa Archive". Oddsportal.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. 1 2 "LiveStats". fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  4. Staff, S. V. G. (August 2019). "NBA's Basketball Africa League Reveals Seven Host Cities for Inaugural Season". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  5. "U.S. Monastir History". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  6. "الاتحاد المنستيري : تعيين منير بن سليمان في خطة مشرف عام على فرع كرة السلة". JawharaFM (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  7. "U.S. Monastir Team Profile". Eurobasket.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  8. Africa Champions Cup
  9. 1 2 "BAL favourites US Monastir make light work of GNBC". ESPN. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  10. "Egyptian Basketball, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards - afrobasket". www.afrobasket.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. "Michael Fakuade joins Zamalek for the BAL". The BAL Report. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  12. Abduljalil, Yusuf (17 April 2021). "Al Zamalek tabs Souleyman Diabate". Afrobasket.com. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  13. "Al Zamalek tabs Chinemelu Elonu for BAL". Afrobasket.com. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.