Tigers roar in the fourth to beat Dynamo
Cape Town's half-time team talk proved a game-changing as they readjusted defensive and offensively in the second half. The South Africans' instilled an aggressive defensive game plan and Dynamo froze.
JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) - Burundian champions Dynamo were left wondering how they gave up a 17-point advantage to lose 76-61 against Cape Town Tigers in Tuesday's second game of Group A in the East Division Elite 16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
It was a game that could have gone either way, but a strong fourth quarter by Cape Town Tigers shut down an energetic Dynamo who looked impressive in the first half.
Tigers' Samkelo Cele came off the bench to do the damage, finishing with 23 points. The 2023 BAL All-Defensive nominee was followed by Terry Larrier who came up with a game-high 25 points in the winning cause.
Substitute Guibert Nijimbere did everything he possibly could to rescue Dynamo, but his team-best 14 points weren't enough to avoid the loss.
Samkelo Cele
TURNING POINT: The 10 lead changes may look simplistic, but it was the way with which both teams dominated moments of the game that drew the full picture of events at Ellis Park.
Dynamo out-classed Cape Town in the second quarter, leading by as many as 15 points.
Cape Town, meanwhile, humiliated Dynamo in third quarter, even though they headed to the final quarter trailing 50-47.
The third quarter belonged to Cape Town with Pieter Prinsloo's three-pointer cutting the gap to 47-45 before Terrence Ferguson made two of his three free-throws to tie the game at 47 with 30 seconds left.
But when Samkelo Celo completed a three-point play that gave Tigers a 62-59 lead with three minutes left, it was game over for a resolute Dynamo team, who never backed down, but paid the price for lacking ideas on the offensive end in critical moments of the game.
Terry Larrier
HEROES: Larrier and Pieter Prinsloo delivered what Cape Town needed it when they found themselves in a hole. While Larrier was 4-for9 from long range, Prinsloo dropped 3 of this 7 three-pointers attempt to rescue the two-time BAL participants.
STAT'S DON'T LIE: Dynamo looked idealess when it mattered most in the fourth quarter, but making only 6 of 11 three-throws didn't do them any favours.
BOTTOM LINE: Cape Town's half-time team talk proved a game-changing as they readjusted defensive and offensively in the second half. The South Africans' instilled an aggressive defensive game plan and Dynamo couldn't cope with it.
Pieter Prinsloo
WHAT THEY SAID: "We realised if we didn't do things the right way and play hard and our brand of basketball we were not going to win this game. We came out in the second half with a different mentality and energy, understand that we needed to go back to our defensive principles, get stops and score. If we play our game we can beat any team in this tournament." - Cape Town Tigers Captain Pieter Prinsloo.
FIBA