US Monastir clinched the last available ticket to the BAL playoffs after a nervy back-and-forth nailbiter against ASC Ville de Dakar (ASCVD) in a 77-68 finish. This impressive victory came on the last day of the regular season. By this successive victory, US Monastir snatched the first place of the Sahara Conference and confirmed its qualification for the playoffs scheduled for June.
In a very competitive match, US Monastir jumped out to an early lead, ending the first quarter up 16-15. Osiris Eldridge helped get things going early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter to help build the Thunder’s momentum. The team’s production soared during Q2, as shown in the chart below. They went on an incredible 13-2 run, allowing them to build a comfortable cushion that they would never relinquish.
Entering the last quarter, US Monastir was in the lead, 53-46. Babacar Sané had a huge impact in the fourth with a dunk to start an 8-1 run that ballooned their lead to 79-58. His electrifying performance ultimately helped lead his team to victory and earn their spot in the playoffs.
“I wish [ASCVD] qualified, but playing against them was hard.” – Babacar Sané
Even in defeat, ASC Ville de Dakar proved durable and dangerous from opening whistle to final horn. Makhtar Gueye was the standout performer, hitting three three-pointers in rapid succession in the third quarter to help Rutgers’ lead. Will Perry put his stamp on the game for ASCVD early, scoring 10 of the squad’s 14 first quarter points. In the face of all that grassroots effort, they were unable to win a sustainable victory. Due to this poor performance, they were removed from the BAL, ending at the last place of the Sahara Conference.
With that US Monastir has now entered the playoff picture. They’ll join Petro de Luanda and Kriol Star, both of whom qualified for the June playoffs. Al Ittihad and Rivers Hoopers had already clinched their places as the top two teams in the Kalahari Conference.
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