Thursday, November 23
*COSPN 78-73 JBC
*Cape Town 69-61 NBA Academy Africa
*Ferroviario da Beira 86-100 City Oilers
*Pazi 85-88 Dynamo
Saturday – Semis
*City Oilers Vs Dynamo – 3PM
*Cape Town Vs COSPN – 6PM
City Oilers secured a commanding 100-86 victory over Mozambique’s Ferroviario da Beira in their final group game at the BAL Elite 16 round held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This win propelled the Oilers to claim the top spot in Group B, securing a spot in the semifinals in an impressive fashion, while Ferroviario da Beira bid adieu to the tournament.
Next up for the Oilers is a high-stakes match against Burundi’s Dynamo, who finished second in Group A behind the Cape Town Tigers.
Leading the charge for City Oilers was Germaine Roebuck, showcasing a stellar performance with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, shooting an impressive 10-of-18 from the field.
Contributions also came from Parish Petty (17), Robinson Opong (15), Tonny Drilleba (13), and Brandon Sebirumbi (12), all reaching double digits in scoring for the victorious Oilers.
Despite an impressive effort from Ferroviario da Beira’s Israel Nurmamade and Helton Sergio Ubisse, with 23 and 19 points respectively, it wasn’t enough to sway the outcome.
City Oilers initially trailed 17-19 after the first quarter but rallied to lead 41-39 at halftime. They managed to stretch their lead to 7 points heading into the fourth quarter and displayed resilience despite Beira thrice levelling the scores in the fourth.
City Oilers dominated the rebounding battle 39-35 and capitalized on Beira’s turnovers, overturning an 8-point deficit at one stage during the game.
The victory marked City Oilers’ third consecutive win in the group stage after defeating COSPN and JBC earlier in the week.
COSPN secured the second spot in the group, setting up a semifinal clash against hosts Cape Town Tigers who topped Group A.
It’s noteworthy that NBA Africa Academy results in Group A won’t count towards the standings, aimed at providing international competition experience and exposure to its players.
As a result, David Dikong’s Dynamo secured the second position in Group A by edging out Landry Ndikumana and Fadhil Chuma’s Pazi of Tanzania in a dramatic 88-85 victory.
The Burundians will now face Group B leaders City Oilers in the crucial semifinal encounter on Saturday.
The semifinals will determine the teams advancing to the BAL, where the winners will secure a spot, alongside the victor of the losers match.
