DOUALA (Cameroon) - Chaux Sports demonstrated an incredible fighting spirit to stay unbeaten on Tuesday, while King Africa record their first win.
There's now a clearer picture of where teams stand in ongoing Group C of the Road to BAL West Division at Complexe multisports de Japoma in Douala, Cameroon.
It's not how you start that's important
DR Congo's champions Chaux Sports had a dreadful start to the game, but when things mattered the most they delivered the final blow to beat Gabon's Moanda Basket 79-76.
The Congolese side trailed by 13 (41-28) at the break and at some point found themselves in what looked like an impossible situation, trailing by as many as 20 points.
But when Franck Nyembo hit a layup with 5:34 minutes left and Chaux Sport took a 70-69 lead the comeback was complete. Chaux Sport never trailed again to record their second win in as many games.
Desire Mboukou finished with a game-high 30 points off the bench after shooting 12-for-16, including a 5-for-6 from the arc; he also added 9 rebounds but his tenacity and determination to try and help Moanda Basket to their first win turned out fruitless.
Herman Igouwe was a rebound shy of a double-double (19 points and 9 rebounds), but the night belonged to Etienne Tametong, Samson Elande and Franck Nyembo who combined for 49 Chaux Sports points.
It was Moanda Basket's third straight loss, while Chaux improved to 2-0.
The race for Group C's top two places for the Elite 16 round is very much alive in Douala.
King Africa sink Abeilles
By beating Abeilles Basket 63-59, the Equatorial Guinean champions King Africa Basket recorded their first win in the qualifier to improve to 1-1 while the former dropped their second game in three.
Antoine Ndomo led the victors with 15 points and Jean Vincent Mouatcho adde 14.
Abeilles rallied, cutting a 16-point deficit and led by 6 later in the fourth, but King Africa made sure to stay put.
FIBA