GEQ - D'Agosto win eighth ACC title

MALABO (Africa Champions Cup) - Primeiro D'Agosto on Saturday strengthened its African hegemony after beating Angolan archrivals Petro de Luanda 80-69 in the Final of the African Champions Cup (ACC) held in Equatorial Guinea capital of Malabo.

This is D'Agosto's eighth ACC title in a decade as American Reggie Moore led the new champions with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Last year, they lost the championship game 82-60 to Tunisian champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel in the Moroccan region of Sale.

Petro de Luanda, who had beaten D'Agosto 86-80 in the opening game of group B preliminary round, were unable to keep their undefeated run (7-0) in the tournament, as the 2006 ACC winners revealed limited scoring options.

Both Carlos Morais and Parfait Bitee combined to score more than half of their team's 69 points.

Angolan international Morais and his Cameroonian fellow Bitee had 23 points apiece while their bench contributed only five points against D'Agosto's 28.

Petro de Luanda, coached by former Cameroon tactician Lazare Adingono, were more successful in the paint as they scored 46 per cent of their points against D'Agosto 42.

The new champions, though, out-rebounded Petro 44-33.

Despite Petro's dominance near the basket, D'Agosto converted 10 shots from behind the arc, compared to their opponents' eight.

Angolan international-turned Member of Parliament Carlos Almeida came off the bench to hit four three-pointers as part of a 15-point performance that disrupted Petro de Luanda's defense.

Adingono led Moroccan side AS Sale to an ACC bronze medal last year, but he was unable to claim gold with his new club.

“I could be better, but it is all part of the process,” he said to FIBA.com.

“Upon taking over at Petro, we knew that it was going to be a process and I am comfortable to see how far we have come in such a short period of time.

“We just completed the first phase of building a strong and consistent team.

“In the final game, I believe we missed several opportunities nevertheless we need to stay the course and continue chipping away with this very young group of guys,” he said.

Both D'Agosto and Petro de Luanda finished this year's ACC with a 7-1 record.

In the all-Egypt bronze medal battle Egypt´s international Tarek El-Ghannam had 18 points and 19 rebounds to help Al Ahly in 76-64 win over Al Ettehad.

In the fifth-place contest, Recreativo do Libolo´s Valdimir Geronimo came off the bench to contribute 17 points in a 73-70 win over last year´s champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel despite Tunisia's international Mohamed Hadidane's game high 23 points.

Gabonese Manga BB's Darlyse Ombango had 15 of his 20 points from behind the arc to help beat Ivorian side ABC 73-63 in the seventh-place contest.

Nigerians Kano Pillars crushed hosts Mangomo Basket 101-49 to finish ninth and Democratic Republic of Congo´s Mazembe defeated Rwandese Espoir 81-79 in the battle for the table bottom.

Al Ahly's bounce back

Egypt's Al Ahly came back from a poor ACC start to upset title contenders Libolo while last years´s champions fell short.

Libolo made it to the Quarter-Finals with a perfect 5-0 mark, but Al Ahly who entered that stage of the tournament with a 1-5 record, came stronger thanks to Tarek El-Ghannam's 27 points and 13 rebounds in a 69-64 win.

Defending champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel showed signs of inconsistency in the preliminary round after defeats against D'Agosto and Petro de Luanda, but improved to 3-2.

They fell short 75-61 to Al Ettehad in the Quarter-Finals as the Egyptians dominated the boards 45-27.

As the ACC curtain came down, three Angolan internationals Armando Costa (D'Agosto), Carlos Morais (Petro) and Olimpio Cipriano (Libolo) joined Egypt's Tarek El-Ghannam (Al Ahly) and Wallax Cox (Al Ethhead) in the All-Tournament Team.

Morais grabbed a double award as he became the tournament´s leading scorer and was named the MVP while El-Ghannam, Egypt's 2007 Afrobasket leading scorer and rebounder was this year´s ACC leading rebounder.

FIBA