KIGALI, Rwanda – Libya`s Al Ahli Tripoli delivered a significant blow to Kenya`s Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) with a resounding 115-87 defeat on Sunday, establishing a new Basketball Africa League (BAL) record for the highest team points in a single game.
This record surpasses the previous mark of 113 points, set by Tunisia`s US Monastir during the league`s debut season in 2021 in their win against Madagascar`s GNBC, also played in Kigali.
Al Ahli Tripoli entered Sunday`s contest on the back of an 87-77 win against South Africa`s MBB on Saturday. In contrast, NCT was looking to rebound from a 92-63 loss to Rwanda`s APR.
Al Ahli quickly took control, opening the game with a 19-7 lead, spearheaded by captain Mohamed Sadi. Nairobi City Thunder eventually found their stride later in the first quarter, narrowing Al Ahli`s lead to 24-18 by the end of the period.
NCT carried that momentum into the second quarter, closing the gap to 39-37. However, Jean-Jacques Boissy found his offensive rhythm and led a decisive 14-1 run, allowing Al Ahli Tripoli to take a comfortable 53-38 lead into halftime.
NCT had a challenging second half in their previous game against APR and faced a similar struggle on Sunday. Al Ahli Tripoli exploded in the third quarter, scoring 18 of the first 21 points to extend their lead to 71-41. By the end of the quarter, with strong performances from Jaylen Adams and Boissy, Al Ahli led 81-53.
The fourth quarter saw Nairobi City Thunder`s Uchenna Iroegbu making shots from various spots on the court. This final period turned into a high-scoring exchange for both teams, with each adding 34 points to their total. This offensive output pushed Al Ahli Tripoli past the previous record, making them the highest-scoring team in BAL history.
Boissy was the top scorer for Al Ahli with 30 points, followed by Adams with 26, Deon Thompson with 21, and Sadi with 20. For NCT, Iroegbu led with 18 points, while Eugene Phillips contributed 14 and Tylor Ongwae added 10.
Commenting on his decision to continue using Boissy as a sixth man despite his excellent scoring, Al Ahli Tripoli head coach Fouad Abou Chacra explained in the post-game press conference:
“He is a young player (25) with very strong character. He`s a winner – he doesn`t like excuses. He doesn`t want to be victimized. Every time he steps onto the court, he`s a hard worker.”
“As a coach, I`m blessed because these guys aren`t only great players; they are great men… The human aspect of my team is beautiful in that they all love each other; they connect directly, and they correct each other.”
“There is no distance between these players. That`s why, with Boissy coming off the bench as a sixth man, he will surely be the best sixth man in this tournament.”
Al Ahli Tripoli is scheduled to face APR on Tuesday, while Nairobi City Thunder will aim to bounce back on the same day against South Africa`s MBB.