ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Kevin Murphy came up with a performance for the ages to send Al Ahli Tripoli Sport Club to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) season 5 as they overcame a resilient ABC Fighters 80-76 on Saturday in Abidjan.
Al Ahli Tripoli reached the decisive Semi-Final as the solo undefeated team with a 5-0 mark and extended their unbeaten run to 6-0.
It was a highly intense and balanced encounter.
No team had a double digits lead although Tripoli had the largest advantage (nine points) before the break.
Kevin Murphy led all players in scoring 34 points, Deng Angok Yak had 14, Mohamed Sadi and Kavel Bigby-Williams finished with 12 points apiece in the winning cause.
TURNING POINT: Nothing could have illustrated the balanced level of the game better than the 43-43 scoreline at halftime.
ABC outscored Tripoli 12-6 five minutes into the third quarter for a 55-49 advantage, and although the Ivorian champions led 65-63 at the end of the third quarter, it was still anyone's game.
With seven minutes Zamba Camara finished a fast-break with a two-handed dunk, stretching the Fighters' lead to 72-65, prompting Al Ahli Tripoli coach Fouad Chakra to call a time-out with 7 minutes left.
Murphy hit two of his five three-pointers later in the fourth quarter, including a dagger that gave Al Ahli Tripoli their first lead (77-76) in the second half.
Mohamed Sadi's drive to the basket extended the Libyan outfit to 79-76 before Murphy sealed the victory from the free-throw line.
HERO: His 34 points in a crucial game as this speaks volumes about Kevin Murphy's impact. He shot 11-for-24 in 38 minutes on the floor.
STATS DON'T LIE: Jaylen Bland was a one-man show for hosts ABC, making 5 of his 7 three-point attempts to finish the first half as the only Fighters' player in double figures with 15 points.
However, he was limited to just three more points in the second half.
BOTTOM LINE: ABC Fighters fought for the second BAL qualification since 2023, but it wasn't meant to be as Tripoli have become the second Libyan side - since Al Ahly Benghazi - to advance to the BAL.
There was no rowdy crowd that would prevent Al Ahli Tripoli from completing an exceptional season that began on their home court in October.
They suffered, they fought, but there was only a goal in their minds, and ABC Fighters were unable to prevent them from extending their lead to 6-0.
Al Ahli Tripoli will take on Stade Malien in Sunday's 2025 Road to BAL West Division title game while ABC Fighters will go up against Kadji Sport Academy in the Third-Place Game.
FIBA