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2023 BAL Sahara Conference

The Sahara Conference of the 2023 BAL season was played from 11 March to 21 March 2023 and was hosted in the Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal for a second straight season in a row. In a group of six teams, all team played each other one time. The top four teams in the standings advanced to the 2023 BAL Playoffs.

REG were the defending Sahara Conference champions, having won the 2022 Conference. The defending champions US Monastir, who won the 2022 BAL Finals, were unable to qualify for the playoffs. Five teams finished with a 3–2 record, which meant head-to-head point difference decided the ranking. Stade Malien ended up as Conference winners.

Standings

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD PCT Qualification SML ASD REG ABC USM KWA
1 Mali Stade Malien 5 3 2 378 361 +17 .600[a] Advance to playoffs — — 84–64 — 68–78 —
2 Senegal AS Douanes (H) 5 3 2 350 331 +19 .600[a] 74–58 — — 70–76 — —
3 Rwanda REG 5 3 2 356 344 +12 .600[a] — 69–55 — — 79–84 64–48
4 Ivory Coast ABC Fighters 5 3 2 389 390 −1 .600[a] 71–90 — 73–80 — 90–74 —
5 Tunisia US Monastir 5 3 2 381 388 −7 .600[a] — 60–76 — — — 85–74
6 Nigeria Kwara Falcons 5 0 5 341 381 −40 .000 74–78 68–75 — 76–79 — —
Source: BAL, Flashscore
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c d e Five tied teams were ranked on point differential in the games against each other: 1) Stade Malien +13; 2) AS Douanes +12; 3) REG –4; 4) ABC Fighters –4; 5) US Monastir –18.

Games

11 March

ABC Fighters won the opening day match-up with hosts AS Douanes, behind Abdoulaye Harouna who made his team debut with 25 points. It was the second consecutive year that a Senegalese club lost the home opener in Dakar, after DUC lost in the 2022 season opener.[1]

11 March 2023
16:00
AS Douanes Senegal 70–76 Ivory Coast ABC Fighters
Scoring by quarter: 14–25, 17–18, 17–15, 22–18
Pts: Stoglin 21
Rebs: Maluach 9
Asts: Crawford, Ndour 4		 Pts: Harouna 25
Rebs: Obekpa 9
Asts: Obekpa, Robinson 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 9,873
Referees: Charles Watson, Antonio Bernardo, Kalume Tonton Banza

12 March

US Monastir opened their 2023 season with a win, while they gave up 21 turnovers against Stade Malien. Souleymane Berthe, the 22-year old starting forward of Stade Malien, scored 34 points in his BAL debut.[2]

12 March 2023
14:00
REG Rwanda 64–48 Nigeria Kwara Falcons
Scoring by quarter: 16–9, 15–20, 24–8, 9–11
Pts: Graham 16
Rebs: Graham, Kambuy Manga 12
Asts: Filer 8		 Pts: Adekoya 15
Rebs: Monyyong 7
Asts: Monyyong 4
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 214
Referees: Kevin Fahy, Arnold Moseya, Claudio Eiuba
12 March 2023
17:30
Stade Malien Mali 68–78 Tunisia US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 22–21, 12–16, 19–18
Pts: Berthe 34
Rebs: Diarra 14
Asts: Keita 3		 Pts: Randle 18
Rebs: Thomas 10
Asts: Randle 7
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 883
Referees: Nate Cearley, Yann Vezo Davidson, Erick Otieno

14 March

Stade Malien won their first-ever BAL game behind Aliou Diarra, who had 23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against the Falcons. Kwara Falcons' 17-year old Modou Fall Thiam impressed by scoring 11 points off the bench.[3]

14 March 2023
16:00
Kwara Falcons Nigeria 74–78 Mali Stade Malien
Scoring by quarter: 15–18, 16–18, 18–28, 25–14
Pts: Wilson 19
Rebs: Mohammed 8
Asts: Mordi 5		 Pts: Diarra 23
Rebs: Diarra 14
Asts: Three players 3
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 300
Referees: Biniam Maru, Kalume Tonton Banza, Dorothy Okatch

The Rwandan champions REG had no trouble with AS Douanes and was reported by the BAL to be the first team to clinch their spot in the 2023 BAL Playoffs; however this turned out to be incorrect.[4]

14 March 2023
19:30
ABC Fighters Ivory Coast 73–80 Rwanda REG
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 24–20, 19–26, 11–17
Pts: Konaté 16
Rebs: Obekpa 11
Asts: Konaté 6		 Pts: Filer 25
Rebs: Graham 10
Asts: Thomas 6
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 300
Referees: Stephanie Barksdale, Aboolo Amr, Erick Otieno

15 March

15 March 2023
16:00
US Monastir Tunisia 85–74 Nigeria Kwara Falcons
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 23–20, 23–18, 28–20
Pts: Thomas 22
Rebs: Lahyani 10
Asts: Randle 8		 Pts: Ezeh 22
Rebs: Monyyong 9
Asts: Mordi 6
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 372
15 March 2023
19:30
REG Rwanda 69–55 Senegal AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 25–12, 17–12, 15–12, 12–19
Pts: Nshobozwabyosenumukiza 14
Rebs: Nshobozwabyosenumukiza 10
Asts: Thomas 6		 Pts: Crawford 17
Rebs: Crawford 9
Asts: Stoglin 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 4,010
Referees: Kevin Fahy, Sara Elsharnouby, Claudio Eiuba

17 March

ABC Fighters stunned the favoured defending champions Monastir, behind a game-high 33 points from Abdoulaye Harouna. They ended Monastir's 5-game winning streak lasting from March 2022.[5]

17 March 2023
16:00
ABC Fighters Ivory Coast 90–74 Tunisia US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 20–9, 17–18, 32–20
Pts: Harouna 33
Rebs: Obepka 9
Asts: Harouna, Fofana 3		 Pts: Randle 25
Rebs: Thomas 10
Asts: Randle 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 800
Referees: Nate Cearley, Sara Elsharnouby, Arnold Moseya

After Stade Malien led 17–16 in the first quarter, AS Douanes never trailed and led by as many as 20 points (66–46) in the fourth quarter. Chris Crawford led Douanes with a game-high 21 points. The league's all-time leading scorer, Terrell Stoglin, did not play.[6]

17 March 2023
19:30
AS Douanes Senegal 74–58 Mali Stade Malien
Scoring by quarter: 21–17, 12–12, 14–13, 27–16
Pts: Crawford 21
Rebs: Ndiaye 8
Asts: Ndour 5		 Pts: Berthe 17
Rebs: Diarra 14
Asts: Mamadou Keita 4
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 3,059

18 March

18 March 2023
14:00
Stade Malien Mali 84–64 Rwanda REG
Scoring by quarter: 22–12, 15–20, 23–17, 24–15
Pts: Berthe 23
Rebs: Diarra 16
Asts: Amayo 6		 Pts: Filer 19
Rebs: Chomche 9
Asts: Thomas 10
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 650
Referees: Biniam Maru, Aboolo Amr, Dorothy Okatch
18 March 2023
17:30
Kwara Falcons Nigeria 68–75 Senegal AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 17–20, 18–21, 12–16, 21–16
Pts: Ezeh 12
Rebs: Mordi 7
Asts: Mordi 4		 Pts: Boissy 22
Rebs: Diagne 6
Asts: Crawford 6
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 6,571
Referees: Kevin Fahy, Sara Elsharnouby, Didier Gaga

20 March

The game was a re-match of the 2022 Sahara Conference, when REG beat Monastir and won the conference. Monastir led by as much as 21 points in the third quarter, before a come back by REG cut the lead to just five points with two minutes left on the clock. After three turnovers, Monastir won the game and qualified for the playoffs. Cleveland Thomas of REG scored 38 points, after shooting 13-for-21 from the field, the second most in BAL history.[7]

Kwara Falcons, already eliminated, was competitive against the ABC Fighters. The Fighters won the game after back-to-back three pointers by their South Sudanese guard Chudier Bile. As a result, they were the second team to successfully qualify for the playoffs.[8]

20 March 2023
16:00
Kwara Falcons Nigeria 76–79 Ivory Coast ABC Fighters
Scoring by quarter: 19–23, 14–18, 21–20, 22–18
Pts: Wilson Jr. 15
Rebs: Mordi 14
Asts: Mordi 6		 Pts: Bile 24
Rebs: Obekpa 7
Asts: Robinson 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 472
Referees: Biniam Maru, Yann Vezo Davidson, Erick Otieno
20 March 2023
19:30
REG Rwanda 79–84 Tunisia US Monastir
Scoring by quarter: 10–25, 20–13, 16–25, 33–21
Pts: Thomas 38
Rebs: Graham, Ndizeye 7
Asts: Thomas 4		 Pts: Randle 32
Rebs: Thomas 7
Asts: Five players 3
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 600
Referees: Nate Cearley, Kalume Tonton Banza, Erick Otieno

21 March

Stade Malien, still unqualified at the time, dominated ABC Fighters as they led by as much as 27 points late in the fourth quarter (84–57). Aliou Diarra recorded his fifth double-double in five games, with 22 points and 10 rebounds.[9]

Ahead of the final game of the Sahara Conference, US Monastir was on top of the table with a 3–1 record. However, hosts AS Douanes convincingly defeated Monastir behind Chris Crawford's 28 points (of which 22 points were scored in the first quarter); this led to a tie between five teams. Because of the wide margin of victory, US Monastir finished with the lowest point difference in matches against the tied teams and was eliminated, the first reigning BAL champion to miss the playoffs.[10] The victory also meant that Douanes would finish second, and Stade Malien, in fourth position in the beginning of the day, finished as Conference winners.[11]

21 March 2023
16:00
ABC Fighters Ivory Coast 71–90 Mali Stade Malien
Scoring by quarter: 10–18, 18–25, 13–22, 30–25
Pts: Konaté 19
Rebs: Robinson, Konaté 8
Asts: Robinson 8		 Pts: Diarra 22
Rebs: Chinyelu 13
Asts: Berthé 7
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 1,567
Referees: Stephanie Barksdale, Antonio Bernardo, Arnold Moseya
21 March 2023
19:30
US Monastir Tunisia 60–76 Senegal AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 10–22, 22–10, 12–14, 16–20
Pts: Lahyani 15
Rebs: Slimane 9
Asts: Bouallegue, Slimane 3		 Pts: Crawford 28
Rebs: Boissy, Ochereobia 7
Asts: Ndour 5
Dakar Arena, Dakar
Attendance: 6,761
Referees: Charles Watson, Aboolo Amr, Didier Gaga

References

  1. ^ "Harouna ruins debut for host team AS Douanes". The BAL. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Defending champions show teeth to beat Stade Malien". The BAL. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Diarra, Berthe lead Stade Malien for first BAL win". The BAL. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  4. ^ "How REG secured the first 2023 BAL Playoffs spot". The BAL. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Mills' ABC stun champions Monastir". The BAL. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Was this AS Douane's comeback moment?". The BAL. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Randle, Thomas lead Monastir to playoffs". The BAL. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Bile's heroics send ABC to playoffs". The BAL. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Stade Malien deserved to win – Mills". The BAL. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Boissy, Crawford end US Monastir's title defense". The BAL. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ "What happened at the 2023 Sahara Conference?". The BAL. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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