KIBAHA (Tanzania) - Burundi champions Urunani made it 2-0 with a 112-43 show while subjecting Beau Vallon Heat to their second consecutive loss as the Road to BAL East Division Group D matches entered day 2. The Seychelles champions only put up a fight for five minutes to trail 9-7 before Mamadou Gueye's men took care of business, leading 26-12 after the opening quarter. The lead doubled in the first half of the second period as Urunani went on to drop 34 against the Islanders' 11 for a 60-23 show in the opening half. The second half was an all-Urunani show as they went 23-08 and 29-12 for victory.
Turning Point: After a back and fourth that saw the match tied at nine points, Mohamed Doumbya combined with skipper Landry Ndikumana for a 14-point run that saw them take a 23-10 lead and there was no turning back for the side as they went on to register the first century win. Game Hero: Senegalese forward Mohamed Doumbya dropped 25 points and was three rebounds shy of a double-double registering a game-high 32 in efficiency. Opening day hero Jean-Jacques Boissy deserves a mention for his rare double-double of 14 points and 12 assists in the victory. Stats Don’t Lie: 17 assists in the opening half told the story of a well-oiled Urunani machine with all but one of the ten players who were on the court in the two quarters getting on the scoresheet for 60-23. The Burundians punished the Islanders 20 turnovers, scoring 31 off of those against a paltry two for the Augustin Scholastique charges. Coach Gueye's bench also provided 40 in the win against the opponent's 12.
Bottom Line: The Burundi champions, who boast a deep field with star players like former AS Douanes and NBA Academy Africa graduate Boissy and Chris Crawford, who managed 19 points and eight assists on this match, have established themselves as one of the favourites, living up to their pre-competition hype. They Said: "Urunani are a top team and we tried our best to match them initially but they are miles ahead of us. We could only keep up for so long. With this loss, our chances of qualifying are now dim but we will fight in the remaining matches to register some wins. Being on this platform is a learning experience for us. We have to come back stronger to qualify," Beau Vallon's Solomon Alao who top scored for his side, managing eight points, offered. "I am happy with the execution in this match. We shared the ball well and were able to dictate pace. We hope to carry the same momentum into the next matches, " Mohamed Doumbya
FIBA