Al Ittihad hit 100-point mark to remain undefeated

Al Ittihad Alexandria sent a message of intent by becoming the first team in the 2025 Kalahari Conference to reach the 100-point mark.

Kyle Vinales, Abdelrahman Mohamed and George King punished Rivers Hoopers' sloppy perimeter defense in a 100-80 win on Tuesday evening.

In a matchup of two undefeated teams, the Egyptian champions proved to be the better team in almost every aspect of the game.

The Alexandria-based team improved to 3-0, while the Hoopers fell to 2-1.

Rivers Hoopers, who had limited their opponents to 71 points per game in the first two games, trailed 71-58 with three minutes left inthe third quarter.

Vinales shot 6-for-10 from behind the arc to finish with a game-high 26 points, Abdelrahman Mohamed was 4-for-6 from three to contribute 17 points off the bench and King scored six of his 23 points from deep.

Al Ittihad led 52-42 at the break.

Hoopers and Al Ittihad took to the floor with the best offensive and defensive tags, but it didn't take long for the game to become a one-sided affair.

Omar Soliman's men benefited immensely from their bench, which outscored the Hoopers 40-13, with Majok Deng contributing 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds off the bench.

Madut Akec led the Hoopers with 18 points, but Al Ittihad's 41-29 rebounding advantage proved too much.

The Rivers Hoopers, who had held opponents to 71 points per game in their first two games, trailed 71-58 with three minutes left in the third quarter.

"We started slow defensively, that's why we couldn't catch up with them," David Ike admitted.

Ike, who finished with six points, said: "This loss doesn't affect us in any way. We just need to win two more games to qualify for the finals in South Africa.

Despite Al Ittihad's unbeaten run, center Mohamed Khalaf said there was room for improvement.

"We hope to keep the same energy and win the next three games, that's our goal.

"We haven't achieved anything yet. I am sure this Rivers Hoopers team will be ready the next time we face them," Khalaf added.

When asked about the challenges that Rivers Hoopers posed to his team, Khalaf admitted that they did their homework.

"We knew they were a good team, but we were mentally locked in.

"When we get into our three-point rhythm, nobody can stop us. When we make threes and play good defense, we are a dangerous team.

"Scoring 100 points against a team that finished third last season is a good sign. It means we are ready.

"Right now I think we are ready for the finals, but we have only won three games. There's still work to be done.

All Ittihad return to action on Thursday when they take on hosts FUS Rabat, while Rivers Hoopers face Stade Malien.