March 11, 2023

Harouna ruins debut for host team AS Douanes

Abdoulaye Harouna had a performance for the ages on Saturday as he inspired Abidjan Basket Club Fighters to a 76-70 win over AS Douanes in the opener of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Sahara Conference in Dakar.

The Nigerien shooting guard had a slow start to the game, having contributed just four points, but he kept his shooting prowess for later.

Harouna was 9-for-18 from the floor, including a 5-for-10 three-point shooting to finish with a game-high of 25 points.

Mike Fofana, the other ABC player to score in double digits, added 21 points, while Chris Obekpa took care of the painted area, contributing 9 rebounds, 3 block shots. The Nigerian center added 2 points to his account.

Dakar, Senegal- March 11:Players of ABC fighters celebratze after defeating Association Sportive des Douanes of Senegal in Dakar Arena on March 11, 2023. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Nacer Talel/NBAE via Getty Images)

“He can do this for four more games,” ABC coach Liz Mills said of Harouna’s impeccable performance.

Mills added: “Credit to the players for executing our game plan.”

AS Douanes stepped on the floor looking to become the first Senegalese side to win a game in the opener of the Sahara Conference in Dakar, but just like Dakar Université Club (DUC) had a disappointing start last year, they too came up short.

Terrell Stoglin and Marcus Crawford, the only two AS Douanes players to score in double digits, contributed 21 and 17 points, respectively, but they will have to go back to drawing board to regroup.

“I am sure we can advance,” an adamant Crawford said.

Fofana opened the score for Abidjan Basket Club Fighters with a three-pointer before Obekpa blocked a Crawford shooting attempt to set the tone for the Ivorians who went to have a comfortable win.

In the opening quarter, ABC looked more like a bullet train while AS Douanes struggled to find answers to the BAL debutant’s discipline and sense of urgence.

And that was evident in the way both teams moved the ball around. Unlike ABC who had 6 assists in the opening quarter, AS Douanes had 1 successful, while turning the ball over 5 times.

No surprise that the Dakar-based never led throughout regulation.

A combination of three-pointers from Fofana, and Stephane Konate, and Harouna combined with AS Douanes’s unruly defense propelled the Fighters of Abidjan to A 43-31 halftime lead.

“We lacked experienced,” Crawford admitted, adding: “This is our first game together. We started a little rough, but we can play good,” he added.

“We need more practice before our first our game,” AS Douanes coach Mamadou Gueye insisted.

As much as Crawford and Stoglin desperately tried to keep AS Douanes in the game, ABC smartly managed to keep them at bay.

After trailing by 15, AS Douanes cut the deficit to 2 points (60-62) after a Crawford three-pointer with 3:47 minutes left, but Harouna said, “we never panicked. We wanted to win this game, and we did it.”