KIBAHA (Tanzania) - A 96-60 victory for Kenyan champions Nairobi City Thunder over Madagascar's GNBC has given them a 2-1 ratio, improving their chances of making the Elite 16. This was the third match for either side, Thunder coming into the clash on a 1-1 ratio while GNBC were on a perfect 2-0 run. The Kenyan side went on an early 10-5 lead before Constant Fabrice Mandimbison made it a two-point game at 10-8. Francis Ramanampamonjy Mory gave GNBC the lead at 12-11, for the first time with 4.41 to play in the opening stanza. Albert Odero and Okall Koranga came off the bench to take Thunder on an 11-point run that saw the Kenyans lead 22-11, forcing GNBC into a timeout. Little changed as Koranga scored 11 in just over five minutes on the floor to see his side lead 29-12 at the conclusion of the quarter. It took Thunder close to four minutes in the second quarter to make their first basket while allowing the Islanders to cut their lead from 17 to nine at 29-20. Uchenna Iroegbu and Derrick Ogechi, however, combined for seven points to see the Kenyan champions lead 36-20 halfway through the quarter. A 14-6 run in the remaining part of the period for Bradley Ibs charges gave them a comfortable 24-point lead heading to the half-time break on 50-26. The first half show proved crucial for Thunder, who were subjected to their first defeat in over ten months by Urunani in game two, as GNBC played for a 24-23 third quarter for the match to head to the final stanza at 73-50 Coach Ibs went with a majority of his bench players for the final quarter, still managing a 23-10 show for victory.
Turning Point: An 11-point run towards the end of the first quarter for Thunder, stunned GNBC who now had to play catch-up against a side that had completely cut off their sharp shooters with a proper match-up zone defense. Okall Koranga was the driving force, scoring 11 in five minutes to give his side the advantage. Game Hero: Derric Ogechi might have emerged top scorer with 19 points, tied with Uchenna Iroegbu, it was Okall's heroics after a tense opening five minutes that changed the trajectory of the game. He ended the game with 13 points, and six rebounds, five on the defense. Stats Don’t Lie: For a side known for their three-point shooting game, posting a 24.2% (8-of-33) conversion rate from behind the arc spelled doom for GNBC as Thunder had a better show of 13-of-24 (54.2%). Bottom Line: The two sides head to the final day of action with high hopes of qualification. Thunder need a win against hosts JKT while GNBC's chances depend on a victory against unbeaten Urunani.
They Said: "This being our third consecutive match, we were a bit tired and despite starting well, we couldn't keep up and they took a huge lead before we could adjust. This is the first loss of the competition and we still have a chance to qualify. We go up against a tough side but we will bring our best game and see what happens," GNBC's Solonirina Ndranto. "This was a must-win match for us and we executed as expected for victory. Having missed the opening two matches, I am glad to have stepped up when called upon to helped the team win. This is not the first time I was playing against GNBC and that gave me some leverage as, in addition to watching their film from the last two matches here , I knew how to handle a few of the players from experience in previous meetings. We take the same momentum to the final match as we look to qualify,"-Thunder’s Okall Koranga.
FIBA