Game Report: Mighty Barolle fought hard but couldn’t hold off KSA’s second-half comeback, falling 79-73. KSA, now unbeaten, eyes a semi-final spot, needing a win against Al Ahli (Tripoli) for a favourable semi-final match and BAL qualification.
Last Updated on
November 9, 2024
Mighty Barolle were trying to right their wrong in the first game against Al Ahli(Tripoli) when they went down early and did not manage to climb out of the hole they dug themselves in. However, it was a different story in Abidjan. The Liberians had a good first quarter performance. They knew they had to correct their defensive efforts but they let in 25 points in the first quarter. They were able to score 26 points.
The Liberians were led by the offensive prowess of Yuat Alok who ended the game with 22 points. The Liberians would continue with the mighty offense in the second quarter but what was most impressive was the defense they played. They restricted KSA to just 11 points in the second quarter while they registered an extra 21 points. In the second quarter, it looked like all hope was lost for KSA as the wind was in the sail of the Liberians. The half ended at 47-36.
In the third quarter, KSA found a new life and started to claw their way back in the game. Surely, the halftime speech by coach Auguste Nouwou was enough to inspire a comeback. They knew it would be an uphill battle because they had dug themselves pretty deep in the hole. It also did not help that Tyree Crump of Mighty Barolle continued to make it rain from beyond the arc. He would end up with 5 three pointers and 19 points in total. However, KSA managed to withstand the barrage of offensive prowess shown by the Liberians.
They started to get significant contributions from all their players as they had 4 players who would eventually end in double digits for scoring. However, that only tells one side of the turnaround because every player contributed meaningfully on the defensive end. The Cameroonian side scored 25 points in the third and limited Mighty Barolle to 17. This meant that the score going into the fourth was 64-61to Mighty Barolle but the wind was now in the sail of KSA.
The fourth quarter was a continuation of the third for KSA. They set the stage for Makhtar Gueye (12 points), Jean Paul Njiki (12 points) and Simon Bileg II (11 points)to show their offensive arsenal. The most impressive player offensively was their star player Jerémy Nzeulie who had 20 points in the game. Mighty Barolle had no answer for the offensive and defensive output KSA put together.
KSA managed to restrict the Liberians to only 11points in the fourth quarter while they scored20 – that is parallel to what Mighty Barolle did in the second quarter. The Cameroonian outfit was able to turn an 11-point deficit at the half to a 6-pointwin. They are now unbeaten and are well positioned to book a spot in the semi-finals. But first, they have to take on Al Ahli (Tripoli) who are also unbeaten in the competition.
Jerémy Nzeulie of KSA had the following to say:
We had a lot of highs and lows… We know that it is a tournament and that it will not be easy so we will take this win with us and try to take the championship home
The Cameroonians prepare for their final group stage game knowing that a win guarantees them an easier matchup in the semi-finals and a finals appearance means automatic qualification to the fifth instalment of the BAL.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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