Brilliant Diarra sparks APR to blowout win over debutant Thunder

MVP! MVP! MVP! Thousands of fans at the BK Arena in Kigali chanted in unison as Aliou Diarra was substituted for the final time.

Diarra put on a brilliant show on Saturday, sparking the 2025 Nile Conference hosts, APR, to a 92-63 win over the debuting Nairobi City Thunder.

Not only did the 2023 BAL Defensive Player of the Year lead all players in scoring with 21 points, he also set a season record for most blocked shots (6).

Pivotal for APR, Diarra did a bit of everything on both ends of the floor. Minutes after the game, he told BAL.NBA.com, "We have been working hard since March, and I am pleased that the results are starting to show."

He expressed his appreciation for the fans’ support, saying, "It's part of the business, and I have been working hard for moments like these."

In addition to his 21 points and six blocked shots, Diarra had 12 rebounds and two steals, giving him an efficiency rating of 29.

"There are a lot of good teams in the league, and every team has a similar goal. It’s not over yet. It’s just the first game. We’ll continue working hard,” said the Malian player, who is in his third BAL season.

Nairobi City Thunder had a short-lived lead (19-14) earlier in the first quarter. However, when APR locked in defensively in the second quarter, forcing the Thunder to turn the ball over seven times, the outcome of the game was inevitable.

The Thunder chased the Lions for most of the second half after trailing by 17 (51–34). Although they narrowed the lead to single digits (59–32) later in the third quarter, the Kenyans could not catch up.

Tylor Ongwae led the City Thunder in scoring with 14 points. William Davis II was the other Thunder player to score in double digits with 11 points.

“Our execution down the stretch was key. We had guys on the bench, our rotation was smaller, and we had endurance. I think that was the difference between the two teams,” said APR forward Axel Mpoyo, who contributed six points, shooting 2 for 4 from behind the arc.

Mpoyo continued, saying: "This is a long season. Nothing has been won yet, so we're going to take it one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.”

It's always good to win by a lot because it boosts the team's morale and confidence.

We play for one another, and you can expect everyone to be involved."

"Pretoria? That’s the goal, for sure,” said the Rwandan international player.

APR will face South African champions MBB on Sunday, while Nairobi City Thunder will go up against Al Ahli Tripoli.