HARARE (Zimbabwe) - It was Super Sunday for the four teams competing for the final Elite 16 spot in Group E, Division East.
Zambian club Matero on Saturday assured themselves qualification to the Elite 16 with a 4-0 record (5-0 overall) and top spot in Group E. Brave Hearts, Costa do Sol, Hounds and Fox were left to scrap it out for the second place.
Here is what happened at the City Sports Complex:
Hearts show bravery against steep odds
Brave Hearts had to have a crazy level of self-belief to secure a place in Elite 16 - especially with the odds stacked against them, and they did.
In the final game, their squad of eight players overcame Costa do Sol 73-71 and they will join Matero Magic in the next stage of the Road to BAL.
The Malawians were led again by their Mr Dependable Harrison Banda's double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds). Faad Billy (17 points, nine rebounds and five assists) and Ian Limbe (15 points and four assists) came to the party for their historic run.
Braveheart and Costa do Sol came to their final fixture with similar records (2-2), but Mozambican club Costa was second on the log, while their opponents from Malawi occupied the fifth spot.
Only four points separated teams going into the fourth, with Costa leading 37-33. The men in yellow got points turnovers (11-2), paint points (12-8) and bench points (14-7). In the second, Bravehearts upped up their effort and took the game to Costa. From the fifth minute of the third, they took a 56-48 lead and never looked back.
Bravehearts coach Griffin Kalua expressed his joy after the game. "I am excited. I am excited. We have invested a lot of money in this team over the last four years and seeing the fruits now. Man I am excited for these players," said team coach and owner Griffin Kalua.
Limbe was equally overjoyed with Brave Hearts' achievement. "I am excited. I am at a loss for words. I am excited for the team, myself and the fans at home. This is unbelievable, I am excited right now," said Limbe.
Magic finish with a perfect record
Matero Magic finished their campaign on a high note, defeating Botswana Defence Force 111-42 and will head back to Zambia with a 5-0 record.
By the end of the first half, the Zambian club were up 52-26 and heading into the second. Matero moved swiftly, adding 34 points to their total in the third quarter.
Saul Phiri led with 22 points, and teammate Elijah Mukelabai followed with 15 points. Both players sat out in the second half and remained the game's leading scorers.
Matero's Angolan coach, Manuel da Silva, says the success is because of a culture change.
"We had to change the players' attitude. They had to ask themselves why they wanted to play basketball," said Da Silva. He also reflected on some of his strategy. "I want to play a full-court press in all the games. That is why I had to work on the mindset of the players and their physical conditioning. That is why we have been successful in these qualifiers."
Fox have more bark than Hounds
Fox Basketball Club secured a win in the final match of the evening - beating host club Basket Hounds 89-60.
Stephen Garbrah's game-leading 21 points, Aluk Adub's 17 and Makuei Puondak's 14 ensured Fox finished in third place.
FIBA