MBB shock Nile Conference hosts APR to revive playoffs hopes

Few saw it coming, but MBB insisted they desperately needed to beat APR, the 2025 Nile Conference hosts, to revive their Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoff aspirations.

The South African champions stunned APR with a 94-88 victory, improving their record to 2-2 with two games remaining.

Just four days ago, APR trounced MBB 103-81.

However, Thursday night’s game was a different story for the BAL debutants.

APR deeply felt the absence of Aliou Diarra and Dane Miller. Diarra missed his second game in a row due to injury, and Miller sat out due to health issues.

This was APR's second consecutive loss with two games remaining.

On Sunday, May 18, when MBB and APR faced off, the South African champions headed to the locker room with a 47-45 lead. They struggled to maintain it and ultimately fell to the 22-point loss, their largest margin of defeat.

In the absence of Diarra and Miller, APR tried various adjustments, widened their rotation, and tried to get the fans inside the BK Arena involved in the game. Nothing worked in their favor.

Not even their season-high 14 three-pointers were enough to stop a highly focused MBB team, which reached its largest lead (12 points) this season early in the fourth quarter.

Jovan Mooring spent all but 2:15 minutes on the floor and carried MBB with a game-high 29 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Teafale Lenard Jr., another MBB player who logged 38 minutes on the court, scored 12 of his 19 points from the free-throw line. Robinson Opong halted APR’s 39-38 halftime lead with a three-pointer and finished with 14 points.

Youssoupha Ndoye had a tough battle in the paint, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but his three fouls midway through the third quarter forced APR coach James Maye Jr. to bench him for extended periods.

"After the first two games, it didn't look promising, and many counted us out. But we identified our mistakes and recognized our potential," said MBB power forward Pieter Prinsloo, who shot 5-for-9 to finish with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The outcome of the Nile Conference remains to be seen, but Prinsloo says MBB’s confidence levels have skyrocketed.

"We have a day to recover and get our bodies right, but at this point, we are focused on leaving here with a 4–2 record," Prinsloo said, adding: "One more win, and we're in Pretoria—that's what we promised our fans."

After Al Ahli Tripoli clinched one of the Nile Conference's two automatic playoff spots, only one berth remains.

The final playoff spot will go to the team with the best third-place record between the Nile and Kalahari Conferences.

The Nile Conference resumes on Saturday, with MBB facing Nairobi City Thunder and APR playing Al Ahli Tripoli.