Patriots finish BAL Qualifiers on high note

KIGALI (Rwanda) - Hosts Patriots extended their winning streak in the Basketball Africa League Qualifiers to 9-0 on Sunday when they defeated GNBC of Madagascar 94-63 to walk away as Division East champions. 

The Rwandan side have been flawless since the start of the qualification phase and have shown that depth in quality, commitment to a defined cause and the hunger to achieve it is the ingredient a team needs to make it to the high table of African basketball. 

Going forward, the Patriots have made a good case for themselves and when they lineup in March 2020 to begin their campaign, it will be the beginning of a journey that defines a relentless team with a never-give-up attitude that will go a long way in helping them achieve an even bigger target. 

“WE DEDICATE THIS VICTORY TO OUR FANS. IT IS OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE STOOD WITH US RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. WE ARE HAPPY THAT WE HAVE FINISHED AS THE BEST TEAM AT THIS COMPETITION. ”- Odhiambo

The local league MVP Dieudonne Ndayisaba Ndizeye put up a man-of-the-match performance recording a notable double double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while fan-favorite shooting guard Jean Victor Mukama came off the bench to contribute 18 points and six rebounds as the home side cruised to a much deserved win that will go a long way in redefining the face of basketball in the East African nation. 

"We dedicate this victory to our fans. It is our Christmas gift to them because they have stood with us right from the beginning. We are happy that we have finished as the best team at this competition," said Carey Odhiambo commonly as T9, Patriots head coach. 

GNBC looked out of their depth on the night and their head coach Lova Navalona Raharidera attributed this to their fatigue from a difficult Semi-Final that saw them stun Ferroviario de Maputo of Mozambique 94-90. 

He said, "We used a lot of energy to come back and defeat Ferroviario yesterday so today the players were tired. It has been a very tough week of difficult games but thank God that we had already qualified for BAL. We are really happy that we made it. The Patriots deserved to win today. They were the better team."

Elly Randriamampionona and Francis Mory scored 14 and 12 points in that order but their efforts on the night were not enough to help their team defeat the Patriots who played in front of a fully packed 10,000 seater Kigali Arena. 

Rwanda President Paul Kagame greets GNBC players after the game

Patriots, GNBC and Ferroviario de Maputo are the three teams that have qualified for the inaugural BAL season that starts in March 2020 and have completed the Final 12 list. 

The other nine teams include AS Douanes (Senegal), AS Police (Mali), AS Sale (Morocco), GS Petroliers (Algeria), FAP (Cameroon), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), Union Monastir (Tunisia) and Zamalek (Egypt). 

FIBA