BAL Day 4
Association Sportive de Sale vs. Clube Ferroviario da Beira
Start time: 4:00 p.m. ET
One thing that former African champions AS Salé are certain of is that they can’t go down 0-2 in their first two Sahara Conference games and beating Ferroviario da Beira on Wednesday has become a must-do task.
Only time will tell if AS Salé’s three-day break was beneficial or not to prepare for Beira, a team returning to the floor 24 hours after beating hosts Dakar Université Club on Tuesday night.
The Moroccan champions have shown interesting moves offensively in their first game against REG although they exaggerated on individual plays at times.
Defensively, AS Salé were too permissive against the Rwandan champions on Sunday, but Head Coach Liz Mills might have had enough time to correct the wrongs and get her team rolling for the remainder of the Sahara Conference.
If Terrel Stoglin and Alvaro Masa can play together, and Abdoulaye Harouna can create scoring opportunities, AS Salé might pick up their first win.
Another headache that Beira might face is Khalid Boukichou’s presence in the paint. He may not be the most agile big-man in the Sahara Conference, but the Moroccans could exploit Beira’s short line-up.
However, Mills’ team will need fresh legs to deal with Beira’s incredible fast-paced ball movement.
AS Salé head to their second game, having allowed 91 points and scored 87.
Beira, on the other hand, have scored 169 points and allowed 169 in two games. Those numbers work as a wake-up call to the Beira-based team and tell them where they will end up if they lose to AS Salé.
Rwanda Energy Group vs. Seydou Legacy Athletique Club
Watch the full game below.
Twenty four hours after being outplayed by US Monastir, Guinea champions SLAC face another tough test on Wednesday when they take on Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in the sixth game of the Sahara Conference in Dakar.
REG have shown a tremendous tenacity to start their Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign after securing a hard-fought win against AS Salé on Sunday, but can Robert Pack’s team continue to climb the ladder for a playoff spot in their home town of Kigali in May?
So far, things look good for REG (1-0).
The East African side return to the basketball court after a 3-day break, and they should have fresher legs than SLAC, who were forced to work extra hard in a 76-55 defeat to Monastir on Tuesday.
“This team is limitless,” said REG point guard Adonis Filer when asked about his team’s capacity in the Sahara Conference.
Can SLAC (1-1) bounce back against REG?
SLAC forward Dane Miller Jr preferred to “treat one game at a time.”
Both Filer and Miller Jr. have been vital to their teams in different capacities.
While Filer is the engine of REG’s offense, Miller Jr. plays a co-leader of SLAC alongside Marcus Crawford.
In two games, SLAC scored 140, but allowed 146. So, to make things right, SLAC must beat REG to avoid the maths game later in the competition.
REG, on the other hand, must be feeling highly confident, especially after coming back from an 11-point deficit to beat former African champions AS Salé 91-87.
REG’s Anthony Walker and SLAC’s Chris Obekpa may offer an intriguing battle in the paint given the two players’ ferocity near the basket.
Other players to watch out for in this encounter include REG’s duo of Cleveland Thomas Jr., a decent guard with an appetite to drive to the basket, and shooter Dieudonne Ndizeye.
Check out schedule and standings below.
Schedule
Standings
