2024 BAL Sahara Conference

Last updated

2024 Sahara Conference
Tournament details
CountrySenegal
City Dakar
Venue(s) Dakar Arena
Dates4–12 May 2024 (2024-05-04 – 2024-05-12)
Teams4
Final positions
Champions Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers (1st title)
Tournament statistics
Top scorer Obadiah Noel, APR (19.4 points per game)
←  2023
2025 →

The 2024 BAL Sahara Conference was the 3rd season of the Sahara Conference, one of the three conferences of the 2024 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The composition of the conference and the schedule were announced on 15 February 2024. [1] The conference games began on 4 May and ended on 12 May 2024.

Contents

Summary

Despite being considered the weakest team, the Rivers Hoopers came out with three straight wins. The Hoopers were the first team to clinch a playoffs spot on the fifth gameday. [2] US Monastir, the 2022 BAL champions, lost their first three games. They became the first former BAL champions to lose four games in a row, dating back to the previous season. [3] The game between APR and Rivers Hoopers on May 11 was the first double-overtime game in BAL history. [2] On May 9, Mike Fofana scored a buzzer-beater game winner to give AS Douanes the win over Rivers Hoopers. [4]

Coming into the final game day on May 12, the last two games decided the last two playoffs spots. [5] On the last gameday, US Monastir qualified after finishing with a 3–3 record. AS Douanes and APR battled for the last playoffs spot, with the winner advancing, and AS Douanes eventually secured its spot. [6]

Standings

PosTeam
PldWLGFGAGDPCTQualification
1 Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers 642441413+28.667Advance to playoffs
2 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 633409385+24.500 [lower-alpha 1]
3 Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir 633437450−13.500 [lower-alpha 1]
4 Flag of Rwanda.svg APR 624432471−39.333
Source: BAL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Head-to-head: AS Douanes 1–1 US Monastir, AS Douanes won on aggregrate point difference (+1).

Games

May 4, 2024
2:30 PM
US Monastir Flag of Tunisia.svg 84–89 (OT) Flag of Rwanda.svg APR
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 20–19, 15–13, 23–26,  Overtime: 6–11
Pts: Crawford 21
Rebs: Lahyani, Majok 9
Asts: Crawford 7		Pts: Filer, Noel 24
Rebs: Abdullah 9
Asts: Filer 4
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 850
Referees: Kenny Jones, Yann Vezo Davidson, Kingsley Ojeaburu
May 4, 2024
5:30 PM
AS Douanes Flag of Senegal.svg 68–77 Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 16–19, 9–19, 20–21
Pts: Akec 19
Rebs: Obekpa 14
Asts: Boissy 4		Pts: Eke 31
Rebs: Eke 12
Asts: Amayo 8
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 8,543
Referees: Tyler Mirkovich, Aboolo Amr, Hassan Kamate
May 5, 2024
2:30 PM
APR Flag of Rwanda.svg 82–86 Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers
Scoring by quarter: 18–19, 22–21, 22–23, 20–23
Pts: Noel 32
Rebs: Noel 7
Asts: Filer, Robeyns 4		Pts: Perry 31
Rebs: Eke, Ike 8
Asts: Amayo 7
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 734
Referees: Kaitlynn Versoza, Kalume Tonton Banza, Adlen Larouci
May 5, 2024
5:30 PM
AS Douanes Flag of Senegal.svg 76–59 Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 12–17, 20–14, 14–15, 30–15
Pts: Harouna 35
Rebs: Akec 9
Asts: Boissy 8		Pts: Williams 16
Rebs: Majok 13
Asts: Crawford 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 4,578
Referees: Cameron Gelinas, Walelign Fikadu Gebeto, Natascha Onono
May 7, 2024
4:00 PM
US Monastir Flag of Tunisia.svg 63–84 Flag of Nigeria.svg Rivers Hoopers
Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 16–25, 22–18, 12–17
Pts: Doucouré 21
Rebs: Crawford 7
Asts: Crawford 14		Pts: Amayo 30
Rebs: Eke 12
Asts: Amayo, Perry 9
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 973
Referees: Tyler Mirkovich, Kalume Tonton Banza, Hassan Kamate
May 7, 2024
7:00 PM
APR Flag of Rwanda.svg 66–61 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 11–17, 16–9, 19–16, 20–19
Pts: Noel 24
Rebs: Noel 8
Asts: Filer, Robeyns 3		Pts: Boissy 14
Rebs: Boissy, Fofana 6
Asts: Boissy 11
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 4,478
Referees: Kenny Jones, Aboolo Amr, Adlen Larouci
May 9, 2024
4:00 PM
APR Flag of Rwanda.svg 70–83 Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 15–17, 17–14, 16–33
Pts: Hunt 17
Rebs: Filer 11
Asts: Noel 5		Pts: Crawford 31
Rebs: Majok 10
Asts: Crawford 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 2,330
Referees: Cameron Gelinas, Kingsley Ojeaburu, Kalume Tonton Banza
May 9, 2024
7:00 PM
Rivers Hoopers Flag of Nigeria.svg 54–56 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 5–14, 21–19, 15–7, 13–16
Pts: Perry 17
Rebs: Olisemeka 18
Asts: Perry 5		Pts: Akec 17
Rebs: Thomas 9
Asts: Boissy 4
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 6,876
Referees: Cameron Gelinas, Yann Vezo Davidson, Natascha Onono
May 11, 2024
2:30 PM
Rivers Hoopers Flag of Nigeria.svg 78–71 (2OT) Flag of Rwanda.svg APR
Scoring by quarter: 16–19, 15–11, 10–20, 17–8,  Overtime: 17–8, 20–3
Pts: Eke 18
Rebs: Eke 20
Asts: Perry 6		Pts: Nshobozwabyosenumukiza 16
Rebs: Hunt 14
Asts: Hunt 7
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 750
Referees: Cameron Gelinas, Aboolo Amr, Kalume Tonton Banza
May 11, 2024
5:30 PM
US Monastir Flag of Tunisia.svg 75–69 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 17–15, 31–20, 10–15, 17–19
Pts: Crawford 16
Rebs: Lahyani 10
Asts: Crawford 6		Pts: Harouna 22
Rebs: Akec 7
Asts: Fofana 2
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 8,208
Referees: Tyler Mirkovich, Kingsley Ojeaburu, Natascha Onono
May 12, 2024
2:30 PM
Rivers Hoopers Flag of Nigeria.svg 62–73 Flag of Tunisia.svg US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 13–19, 20–19, 9–18, 20–17
Pts: Eke 13
Rebs: Olisemeka 10
Asts: Amayo 7		Pts: Crawford 21
Rebs: Majok 16
Asts: Crawford 9
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 2,604
Referees: Kenny Jones, Kalume Tonton Banza, Walelign Fikadu Gebeto
May 12, 2024
5:30 PM
AS Douanes Flag of Senegal.svg 79–54 Flag of Rwanda.svg APR
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 21–10, 19–18, 16–8
Pts: Fofana 27
Rebs: Akec 9
Asts: Harouna 8		Pts: Mpoyo 22
Rebs: Mpoyo 7
Asts: Robeyns 4
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 8,632
Referees: Kaitlynn Versoza, Yann Vezo Davidson, Hassan Kamate

Player statistics

[7]

CategoryPlayerTeam(s)Statistic
Points per game Obadiah Noel APR 19.4
Rebounds per game Devine Eke Rivers Hoopers 11.7
Assists per game Chris Crawford 8.5
Steals per game Abdoulaye Harouna AS Douanes 3.8
Blocks per game Ater Majok US Monastir 1.5

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References

  1. ↑ "Five New Teams, Three New Countries to Compete in 2024 BAL season Tipping Off on March 9th in South Africa". The BAL. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Rivers Hoopers clinch playoffs spot in first BAL double-overtime game". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "Can US Monastir make the biggest comeback in BAL history?". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  4. ↑ "Fofana calls game-winning shot the best of his career". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Who will clinch the last two tickets for the 2024 BAL Playoffs?". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "AS Douanes punch last playoffs ticket in front of a rowdy home crowd". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Statistics". The BAL. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
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