In a nail-biting display of skill and determination, APR narrowly clinched victory against Al Ittihad with a final score of 77-76 during an intense BAL Pre-Conference Friendly clash. Read about APR's nail-biting encounter win over Al Ittihad in their thrilling pre-Sahara Conference friendly game.
Last Updated on
March 26, 2024
Ayo Biyibi
Staff Writer
Ahead of the highly anticipated kickoff of the Sahara Conference in the 2024 Basketball Africa League, APR (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise), one of the division's powerhouses, took on Egyptian club Al Ittihad in a pre-conference friendly.
The STECOL basketball court, renowned as a vibrant centre of Rwandan basketball, hosted an intense showdown between two titans of the sport. The atmosphere was electric as APR stepped onto the court, eager to showcase how their updated squad has developed since the club's recent 10-day camp in Qatar in preparation for the upcoming Basketball Africa League season.
As the game progressed, it became evident that neither side was willing to back down, leading to an intense and closely fought contest that saw APR's guard, Ntore Habimana, sink a walk-off buzzer-beater to give the Rwandan club the win.
In a thrilling showcase of talent and skill, APR's Michael Dixon lit up the court with an impressive performance, notching up a remarkable 32-point performance, complemented by four rebounds and four assists.
Williams Robeyns and Ntore Habimana supported him on the offensive front, contributing 15 and 11 points, respectively. However, Al Ittihad's Joseph Emmanuel and Haitham Kamal put up a tough fight, with Emmanuel scoring 20 points and Kamal adding 12 to their boxscore.
As the anticipation builds for the upcoming Basketball Africa League's Sahara Conference in Dakar, APR is gearing up with additional build-up games. These friendly showdowns will serve as crucial preparation for the Rwandan champions as they fine-tune their game plans ahead of the highly anticipated conference regular season games, from May 4th to May 12th.
