ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - The opening day of West Division Group B belonged to Jeunesse Club d'Abidjan and Elan Coton who secured significant victories in their quest for a place in the 2025 Road to BAL Elite 16 tournament, which is set to take place next month.
In the first game Benin's Elan Coton overcame Liberian champions LPRC Oilers 75-69 while hosts Jeunesse Club d'Abidjan outlasted Ghana's Spintex Kinght 77-63.
Both teams are now in pole position to secure the two automatic spots for the Elite 16 round.
Here's a look at Friday's events at the Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Jeunesse Club d'Abidjan protect homecourt
The Ivorian champions got off to a strong start in the game, and despite initially trailing by two, the team coached by Stéphane Konaté embarked on a scoring spree, eventually leading by as many as 20 points.
Although things seemed easy for Jeunne Club d'Abidjan early on, the Ghanaians, led by James Amotoe, fought back and almost spoiled the hosts' debut.
Amotoe was the top scorer with 24 points; American Khyree Malik Temple added 19, but no other Spintex Knights player scored in double figures.
Ulrich Mohamed Kra, an Ivorian international player who featured for ABC Fighters in the 2023 BAL season, led the hosts with 19 points, while his teammate Babatunde William contributed 13.
Oilers' sloppy performance cost them the opening game
The Oilers dominated the boards with a 51-44 advantage and protected their rim with nine blocks compared to Elan Coton's four.
However, offensively, the Liberian side never showed the grit needed to come out on top. To make matters worse, the Oilers missed five free throws, shooting 7 for 12.
Omar Samba of Gambia led the Oilers in scoring with 15 points. John Davis had 12 points, while Jerror Tarwo and Lassina Sidibe finished with 10 points apiece.
Elan Coton's Roland L'Heureux Adjado gave a man-of-the-match performance, shooting 3-for-3 from the arc to finish with nine points, while his teammate Abolaji Emilagba, from Nigeria, finished with a team-high 14 points.
Omar Samba opened the scoring with a mid-range jumper to give the Oilers a 2–0 lead 20 seconds into the game. However, the Beninese responded with a 5–0 scoring run to take control of the game for the rest of the first half.
The Oilers showed signs of resurgence in the third quarter, briefly taking a 46–44 lead. However, Elan Coton responded well to retake control.
Omar Samba caused Elan Coton all sorts of trouble, and when the 22-year-old scored another layup to reduce the deficit to just two points (71–69) with 21 seconds remaining, uncertainty reigned at the Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan.
Once again, Elan Coton remained composed, closing the game out with a 4–0 scoring run.
West Division Group B resumes on Saturday with Spintex Knights facing the Oilers while hosts Club d'Abidjan take on Elan Coton.
FIBA