Dolphins swim to victory against the JBC tide in Group D Road to BAL opener
The Dolphins put in a dominant second-half display at the University of Botswana Indoor Arena to prevail 68-65.
GABORONE (Botswana) - The final game of Group D was scrappy and saw two teams, hosts Dolphins BC and JBC from neighbouring Zimbabwe, not give each other an inch on Saturday night.
The Dolphins put in a dominant second-half display at the University of Botswana Indoor Arena to prevail 68-65.
Tanaka Ndyara's 15 points and team captain Kesaobaka Ndawanyana and American recruit Paris Collins scored 13 points each as Dolphins secured a memorable three-point victory.
Dolphins looked a more mature outfit than in 2019 and showed a strong display of character. Despite looking undersized, they made up for that deficiency by consistently contesting rebounds at both ends of the floor.
They were relentless and put their bodies on the line for each point they scored in the paint.
The Zimbabwean club were taller, bigger, stronger, and more clinical as they used the fast-break to good effect. JBC ended the first half with a 39-28 lead.
In the third quarter, the Botswana club showed some grit as they fought back, scoring 11 points, and found themselves in touching distance (39-41).
The Botswana club stayed in the contest throughout this stage of the game. They would finish the quarter strong with a 52-51 lead.
Dolphins would hold in the fourth quarter to close out the game put themselves in a good position for the rest of the qualifiers.
MUNALI SUNS vs UNAM WOLVES
Munali Suns gave a basketball masterclass with their emphatic 82-55 win over UNAM Wolves. The Suns started like a house on fire while the Wolves huffed and puffed up and down the court.
It's still early days in the pre-qualifiers to the main BAL competition, and the Suns, with their polished play, look like a favourite to take the solitary qualifying spot.
The Suns ran rings around their opponents and were up by 21 points (44-23). Joshua Thomas led Munali in scoring with 16 points, while Harrison Banda contributed 14 points. Paul Kashishi had a hot hand from behind the three-point line and finished with 14 points.
FIBA