HARARE (Zimbabwe) - It was a night of undefeated teams maintaining their perfect records in Road to BAL Group E at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Thursday.
The day started with Mozambique's Costa do Sol doing battle against South Sudan's Fox Basketball Club. A win for Costa do Sol would reignite their Elite 16 aspirations, while Fox would maintain an unbeaten record.
Here's what happened at the City Sports Centre
GOB's sees Fox build an unbeaten record
Fox maintained their momentum with a 71-66 victory over Costa do Sol.
Gabriel GOB's game-high 20 points put the South Sudanese club in a good position to make the Elite 16. GOB was 7-for-15 from field goal and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Fox player Tony Marino, who scored 10 points and crashed eight boards, says the win helps their momentum.
"It's amazing for us. We came here to win. It helps with building our confidence," said Marino
Matero Magic go 2-0
Martin Zubillaga's 19 points and four assists were part of Matero Magic's dominance over Bravehearts.
The Magic, unbeaten in their campaign, coasted to an 82-67 win over their opponents from Malawi.
Saul Phiri also stepped up for Matero with 16 points, while Demond Jones' 11 points and Gilbert Muleya's 10 points helped push Matero to 2-0.
"We got the win. It's something to build on. We got two Ws, and we look forward to the next win. This (win) gives momentum for the next game tomorrow," said Jones.
He also shared his thoughts about on-court action. "We got off to a slow start, but we knew they only had eight players. So we were going to outrun them (Bravehearts), to get them tired and it worked for us," said Jones.
The men from Zambia built an unassailable lead (52-32). Magic's Angolan coach Manuel Silva used his entire bench with the win looking comfortably in the bag.
Matero's bench contributed 53 points and profited from 24 fast break points. Both teams got 30 points each in the paint.
Morris' heroics clinch a win for Hounds.
Kamani Morris made sure the night belonged to Basket Hounds with a 25-point performance against Botswana Defence Force.
The Hounds took the game 71-69 after crucial threes from Morris late in the fourth kept the hosts alive and set them on the victory path.
It was edge-of-your-seat action between the Southern African neighbours, especially in the fourth quarter.
Hounds had held the lead going into the second half, but BDF clawed their way back in the third quarter to momentarily lead 46-41.
The fourth quarter clash was headed for a tense finish. Tanaka Ndyara's fastbreak dunk tied the game 69-69 with seconds remaining for BDF, but Clayton Chikwendo's free throws made the game safe for the Hounds.
The win improves Hounds' chances of an Elite 16 spot into the game against Costa do Sol on Friday.
FIBA