Hosts FUS Rabat completed a crucial double over Stade Malien with a 78-68 win, keeping their BAL 2025 playoff hopes alive. John Jordan led the charge as the Moroccans delivered another dominant performance on both ends of the floor.
Last Updated on
April 12, 2025
Kalahari Conference hosts FUS Rabat claimed their second victory at the ongoing Basketball Africa League (BAL) competition as they completed a double against Stade Malien to keep qualification hopes alive. This victory followed Tuesday's 92-72 one, giving the hosts their first victory in the four-team competition.
The Said El Bouzidi-coached North Africans had three players dropping double digits on points, John Jordan leading with 18, adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals for a game-high 21 in efficiency rating. Skipper Abdelhakim Zouita and Mike Fofana said 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Stade Malien's Mahamane Coulibaly continued his stellar show for the Road to BAL West Division runners-up, dropping 26 points in just over 33 minutes but with the rest of the crew shut down by FUS Rabat's defence, it was too little to hand his side and opening win as they head to the final match on 5-0 show.
"We listened to the coach and focused more on defense than we did in the first match. We were also more focused collectively and that made the difference tonight. We had good numbers tonight, especially with our rebounding. We now get to relax a bit and prepare for the final game tomorrow," Zouita said after the win.
The Malians started slowly, trailing 10-2 early in the quarter. Mohamed Doumbya got their fight back underway with a steal, driving to the basket for 10-4. Jordan dropped his second-quarter trey for 13-4 with 5:50 to play.
Landing Sane responded immediately with a three as Stade Malien went on a nine-point run, Coulibaly's shot from behind the arc bringing Kanoute Boubacar's charges level at 13 points. However, some costly turnovers for the West Africans down the stretch saw Zouita drop four points quickly as the quarter ended 18-15 off an Abdelkarim El Haoua steal on the paint for a basket.
Soufiane Benmhine got the action underway in the second stanza, towering over his marker for a floating basket to make it a five-point game. The difference remained at 26-21. Jordan pounced on a loose rebound to return Soufiane Kourdou's missed attempt. The latter had been fed from downtown by Zouita, only to go short, with little defence. The basket gave the hosts their first double-digit lead at 33-22. The Malians cut it back to nine at 40-31, heading to the halftime break.
Coulibaly kept the fight going in the second half as Boubacar's charges made it a four-point game at 44-40 off a Haman Dade three, four minutes into the second half. The West Africans found themselves in trouble a minute later, with the score reading 49-40, as they picked their fifth team foul, with key guard Cartier Diarra picking his fourth, being forced to the bench.
FUS Rabat allowed the opponent to claw back with back-to-back steals, Coulibaly and Doumbya converting to come the closest they ever were since the first quarter at 40-48. Defensive lapses to allow lethal shooter Nisre Zouzoua space for a three ignited the hosts back to action as they pulled away, yet again, for a nine-point advantage (57-48) at the end of the quarter. An evenly contested final stanza saw the hosts win by 10 to keep hopes alive ahead of their final match.
[Photography by Cheick Haidara/The BAL]
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