KIGALI, Rwanda – Libya`s Al Ahli Tripoli delivered a decisive 115-87 defeat to Kenya`s Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) on Sunday, handing NCT their second consecutive heavy loss in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The victory was particularly notable as Al Ahli Tripoli set a new league scoring record for the most points scored by a team in a single game.
The previous record was held by Tunisia`s US Monastir, who scored 113 points in their 113-66 win against Madagascar`s GNBC during the BAL`s inaugural season in 2021, also played in Kigali.
Al Ahli Tripoli entered Sunday`s game with momentum after securing an 87-77 win over South Africa`s MBB on Saturday. In contrast, NCT was looking to bounce back from a 92-63 loss to Rwanda`s APR.
Al Ahli started strong, establishing an early 19-7 lead with captain Mohamed Sadi making an impact. However, NCT found their rhythm later in the first quarter, managing to narrow Al Ahli`s lead to 24-18 by the end of the period.
NCT continued their improved play into the second quarter, closing the gap to just two points at 39-37. But Jean-Jacques Boissy then took control, spearheading a significant 14-1 run that propelled Al Ahli Tripoli to a comfortable 53-38 lead by halftime.
Following a challenging second half in their previous game, NCT again struggled after the break on Sunday. Al Ahli Tripoli dominated the opening minutes of the third quarter, scoring 18 of the first 21 points and extending their lead dramatically to 71-41. Led by Jaylen Adams and Boissy, Al Ahli maintained control, finishing the third quarter with a dominant 81-53 advantage.
The fourth quarter saw higher scoring from both teams, with NCT`s Uchenna Iroegbu finding his range. Both sides added 34 points to their totals in the final period, culminating in Al Ahli Tripoli`s historic 115 points, setting the new BAL team scoring record.
Boissy was the game`s leading scorer with 30 points. Adams contributed 26, Deon Thompson 21, and Sadi added 20 points for Al Ahli. For NCT, Iroegbu led with 18 points, followed by Eugene Phillips with 14 and Tylor Ongwae with 10.
In the post-game press conference, Al Ahli Tripoli head coach Fouad Abou Chacra commented on utilizing Boissy as a sixth man despite his high scoring: “He is a young player (aged 25) with very strong character. He`s a winner – he doesn`t like excuses. He doesn`t want to be victimised. Every time he steps in, he`s a hard worker.”
The coach also praised his team`s dynamic: “I`m blessed as a coach because these guys are not only great players. They are great men – human beings… The human part is beautiful in my team in that they all love each other; they tap in directly and they correct each other.”
He concluded about Boissy`s role: “There is no distance between these players. That`s why, Boissy stepping in as a sixth man will for sure be the best sixth man at this tournament.”
Al Ahli Tripoli is set to play APR on Tuesday, while NCT will look for their first win against South Africa`s MBB on the same day.
