The 2024 BAL Playoffs quarterfinal matchups have been set as Tunisia’s US Monastir defeated Angola’s Petro de Luanda 70-67, thanks to Firas Lahyani’s spectacular buzzer-beater from behind-the-arc, and Senegal’s AS Douanes beat Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers 63-57.
Lahyani added nine rebounds, George Williams finished with 17 points and Chris Crawford dished out 11 assists for Monastir.
It was Monastir’s fourth straight win this season, after they started their Sahara Conference campaign with three consecutive losses earlier this month.
They outrebounded Petro 44-39 but ended the game with 15 turnovers and will look to get more organised offensively ahead of their quarterfinal against Rivers Hoopers.
Nicholas Faust scored 12 for Petro, Childe Dundao added 11 points and Yannick Moreira finished with nine points and five rebounds, as they look to face AS Douanes next.
In the day's second game, Abdoulaye Harouna led Douanes with 16 points, with Madut Akec recording 13 points and eight rebounds.
Douanes were outrebounded 48-56 by the Hoopers, but were more disciplined with the ball, limiting their turnovers to 10, compared to the Hoopers’ 22.
David Ike led the Hoopers with 11 points, but it was a dreadful night for both teams as they struggled to find the net throughout the night.
The quarterfinals get underway this afternoon, with Al Ahly Ly taking on the defending champion Egypt’s Al Ahly at 2:30pm CAT, while FUS Rabat will take on Cape Town Tigers at 5:30 pm CAT at BK Arena.