RSSB Tigers make history at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Beijing

RSSB Tigers made history in Beijing as the first Rwandan team to compete in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, representing the Basketball Africa League (BAL) on the global stage. 

The RSSB Tigers arrived in Beijing as the reigning Basketball Africa League champions, having secured their first BAL title in June in Kigali. Their continental success earned the Rwandan club a place among the six teams competing for the FIBA Intercontinental Cup title.

A competitive start against Rytas Vilnius

The Tigers opened their campaign on September 22 against Rytas Vilnius, the Basketball Champions League winners.

The Tigers competed closely with the Lithuanian champions during the first half, but Rytas eventually pulled away after a 15–0 run late in the second quarter to claim a 107–89 victory.

Craig Randall II led the Tigers with 20 points. Despite the defeat, the Tigers remained in contention for a semi-final place ahead of their second group game against the Shanghai Sharks.

A comeback for the history books

The second game produced one of the most memorable performances of the tournament.

Facing the reigning Chinese Basketball Association champions, the Tigers fell 19 points behind in the third quarter. RSSB responded with an amazing comeback built around defensive stops, transition plays and clutch three-pointers.

Randall delivered the decisive moment in regulation, hitting a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Tigers completed the comeback to defeat Shanghai 117–115.

The reigning BAL MVP scored 30 points, including the shot that forced overtime. Tyler Bey added 19 points, while Osborn Shema and Ntore Habimana combined for 31 points off the bench.
This result took the Tigers into the semi-finals with a 1–1 record in Group A.

Taking on the NBA G League United

In the semi-finals, RSSB Tigers faced NBA G League United, a team featuring players from the NBA G League.

The Tigers stayed within reach at half-time after an attacking opening 20 minutes from both sides. NBA G League United then took control in the third quarter and eventually won 114–95.

Craig Randall, once again led the Tigers in scoring with 25 points, while Teafale Lenard Jr added 22. 

Fourth place in Beijing

The Tigers concluded their historic campaign with the third-place game against Boca Juniors, the Basketball Champions League Americas champions.

Several RSSB players were unavailable for the game because of minor injuries and precautionary measures, including Randall II, Lenard Jr, Nisre Zouzoua, Tyler Bey and Jonathan Galloway. Boca Juniors won 93–62 to claim third place, leaving RSSB Tigers fourth in the final standings.

For RSSB Tigers, the Beijing tournament represented another step in the club's rapid rise on the international stage. After becoming BAL champions in their debut season in the competition, the Rwandan club went on to compete against continental and league champions from Europe, Asia, the Americas and the United States.

Individual performances on the international stage

Across the tournament, several Tigers players made a strong statistical impact.

Craig Randall II finished the competition as the tournament's leading scorer, averaging 25.7 points per game, while also averaging 6 assists. Teafale Lenard Jr recorded a tournament-best 2.7 steals per game and ranked among the leading players in efficiency with a rating of 19.7 per game.

The performances also reflected the contribution of Rwandan players within the roster. Osborn Shema and Ntore Habimana played important roles in the comeback against Shanghai, while the team as a whole competed against champions from some of the world's leading basketball competitions.