RSSB Tigers end Al Ahly SC's hopes of returning to the BAL Final

The RSSB Tigers scored over 100 points for the fourth time this season, ending Al Ahly SC's hopes of returning to the BAL final.

With the 106-97 win, the Tigers have become the first Rwandan team to reach the Basketball African League (BAL) Final.

Zack Lofton led the 2023 BAL champions with 36 points, but Oumar Ballo, Teafale Lenard and Craig Randall stole the show for the RSSB Tigers, combining 69 of the RSSB 106 points.

Ballo signed off with 20 points and 17 rebounds off the bench while his teammate Randall was a three-pointer short of his own BAL three-pointer record (11). He with finished 30 points.

It was an evenly balanced contest for most of the regulation, but it was in the final five minutes of the game that the RSSB Tigers inflicted the final blow.

The RSSB Tigers advance to the 2026 BAL Final to take on the winner of the Petro de Luanda vs Al Ahly Ly's semifinal.

This semi-final clash lived up to expectations, with players from both teams giving their all to stay in contention for the 2026 BAL trophy.

Although Lofton had a relatively quiet first half, finishing with just 10 points, he was phenomenal for the rest of the game.

For every attempt by the RSSB Tigers to go on a scoring run, Lofton responded with a series of lethal plays.

In his 38:11 minutes on the court, he shot 12-for-25, including 7-for-17 from behind the arc, and provided five assists.

With the teams tied at 50–50 at half-time, the Tigers used an 18–10 scoring run in the first five minutes of the third quarter to establish an eight-point lead.

However, Al Ahly SC weren’t prepared to go down without a fight and cut their deficit to just two points early in the fourth quarter.

Nevertheless, stopping Ballo — who terrorised Al Ahly SC’s defence with his 9-for-10 shooting in the paint — proved impossible for the Egyptian champions' defence.

“Omar Ballo was a huge asset to us tonight,” said RSBB Tigers captain Antino Jackson Jr, who played his part with his 13 points and a game-high seven assists.

“He's a good player and he really adjusted to our style of play. He is going to be huge for us down the stretch,” Jackson Jr. added. 

Teafale Lenard Jr., who returned after missing the second round of the quarterfinals against FUS Rabat due to injury, made his presence felt with thunderous dunks. 

In addition to scoring 19 points, he contributed seven rebounds and three assists.

Al Ahly SC took to the court with a transformed starting line-up compared to the previous game, with Ehab Amin replacing Kevin Murphy and Osayi Osifo coming in for Omar Oraby.

This smaller, faster line-up helped Al Ahly SC keep the Tigers at a close distance.

With the score tied at 24-24 at the end of the opening quarter and 50-50 at half-time, it was in the third quarter that the RSSB Tigers really took control of their destiny.

To make things even better for the Tigers, their home fans, who almost sold out the BK Arena, proved vital in cheering on their team through the highs and lows of the game.

WHAT THEY SAID:

Antino Jackson Jr (RSSB Tigers)

“Resilience won us the game. Nobody thought we were going to be here, but here we are. We have one more game and we just want to get the job done.”

“We knew they were going to try to slow down Craig [Randall], but Craig was still Craig tonight, and we had other players who really stood out in the box score.”

Amr Gendy (Al Ahly SC) 

“We couldn't control the tempo of the game. We knew that if the game went to the 90s or 100-point mark, it would be difficult because they have many offensive weapons, they play well together, and... That was the main reason for our loss tonight.”

“Of course, it’s disappointing to fall short in the semi-finals, because Al Ahly enters every competition aiming to win. We won the Egyptian League, though, and we’ll be back stronger next year to try again.” 

“[Third Place Game] - It will be a tough game because we have injuries in the squad, but we’ll try to end the season on a high.”

BAL