YAOUNDE(Cameroon) - A day after cruising to their easiest win in Group B of the Road to BAL 2024, Forces Armees et Police (FAP) survived their toughest test to date, beating BC Virunga 65-61 on Monday in Yaounde.

While Lamantines posed no threat to FAP on Sunday, the DR Congo's champion pushed FAP against the wall for most of the second half.

However, unnecessary fouls and sloppy plays in critical moments of the games proved costly for BC Virunga.

A 20-8 advantage at the end of the opening quarter suggested that things were going according to plan for FAP, but when Arsene Mwana came off the bench it was a difference ball game.

Mwana's fast-paced type of game became a headache for the Yaounde-based as his game-high 17 games showed. 

Mwana, who featured for Espoir Fukash in the BAL Season 2 and was part of the Stade Malien team during the Road to BAL 2023, scored six straight points that gave BC Virunga a 46-43 lead at the end of the third quarter. It was the Congolese outfit's first first advantage since a 4-3 leasd in opening minutes of the game.

And when FAP looked set to close the game out, Mwana hit his second of five three-point attempts to tie the game at 61-61 with 14 seconds remaining.

Eventually, a sequence of BC Virunga bad and rushed plays allowed FAP to seal the victory from the foul line.

Cyrille Liale and Cedric Tsangue - two members of the FAP team that reached the BAL Semi-Finals in 2022 - brought their A-game, finishing with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

It was far from being the most attractive game, and FAP will need to watch footage of the game to try and correct their wrongs for the remaining of the qualifiers.

BC Virunga displayed a tremendous tenacity throughout the game, grabbing an impressive 31 offensive rebounds but turning the ball over a whooping 32 times  and making just 10 of their 22 free-throws attempts suggest there is plenty of room for improvement.

In the earlier game of the day, Lamantins forfeited for the second straight time, giving Bangui Sporting Club their first win of the tournament.

Group B's action resumes on Tuesday with Bangui Sporting Club taking on BC Virunga. 

As of Monday, October 9, FAP lead Group B with a 2-0, Espoir BC are second (1-0), Bangui Sporting Club (1-1) are third, BC Virunga come in fourth place and Lamantins are last in the group with a 0-2 mark. 

FIBA