NAIROBI (Kenya) – Cape Verde champions Kriol Star, the first team from the island nation to compete in the Elite 16, held off South Africans MBB Blue Soldiers to claim a 63-58 victory that propels them in the semi-final.
Both teams went into the final group match with a 1-1 scoreline, having won against the Bravehearts and lost to Nairobi City Thunder in Group A.
The first quarter was hotly contested, with the Islanders leading 17-15, but they took over with a 21-11 second quarter, putting them up 12 points in the second quarter. half-time.
MBB, under the leadership of Cyril Shabalala, however managed to return to the match by leading 13-7 in the third quarter, to return to six points ahead.
Benjamin Myburgh started the last quarter on the free throw line, bringing the MBB to four points (45-41), but Patrick McGlynn scored six, including his famous basket, to allow Kriol to break away.
Veteran Lebese Selepe made two three-pointers down the stretch and Joel Almeida scored one for Kriol Stars to keep the lead at 57-53.
The match looked to be heading into what would have been the third overtime of the day, but Hugo Salgado’s men held on to claim victory.
THE TURNING POINT OF THE MATCH: The 10 points scored by Kriol in the second half of the second quarter, while limiting the MBB to five, proved decisive. This advantage allowed Salgado’s men to breathe when the South Africans made their comeback.
HEROES: McGlynn continues to be a key asset for the Kriols, who had just four days to prepare after receiving their wild card into the Elite 16. He made 4 of 11 three-pointers to lead the Islanders to victory, which allowed the team to win.
With his team under pressure in the final seconds, he remained calm to shoot from mid-range and ensure the match ended in regulation time. Kenneti Mendes led her team’s defense, with 13 boards.
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: Little separates the two teams in terms of key statistics, but Shabalala’s charges will only have themselves to blame for the defeat, as they missed 13 shots (12-25) at the line , against three (7-10) for Kriol.
CONCLUSION : Kriol Star, against all expectations, qualifies for the decisive semi-finals with a score of 2-1. They entered the competition with a wild card after going 0-2 in the group stage in Libya. They are preparing to face the Burundians of Urunani in the last four.
THEY SAID: “I’m incredibly proud of this group. We got off to a slow start, but to come back the way we did and give ourselves a chance in the second half is a great testament to what South African basketball has to offer. Regardless, making our debut in the Elite 16 was an amazing experience for all of us. It’s a great platform and we learned some valuable lessons that will definitely help us prepare to return. at this stage.” Neo Mothiba, MBB winger.
“Winning this match is a great achievement for us and for Cape Verde basketball, because it takes us to the decisive match, which was our goal when we arrived. We had a second opportunity to show that the group stage “It was not representative of our basketball and I am happy that we responded to this confidence placed in us with a great show. We will prepare for the semi-finals knowing that we will face a good team.” Joel Almeida, Kriol Star fullback.
FIBA
