APR BBC have joined Espoir BBC as the only Rwandan sides to ever reach the finals of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) after a commanding 104–73 victory over Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers.
The Rwandan champions produced a powerful all-around performance on Monday at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, outplaying the Hoopers on both ends of the floor to secure the semifinal win and with it, a historic achievement for Rwandan basketball.
This marks Rwanda’s second team to reach the BAL final after Patriots BBC did it during the inaugural BAL season in 2021.
From the opening tip, APR BBC showed they meant business. They dominated in pace, execution, and shooting efficiency. Anunwa “Nuni” Omot, the Season 3 MVP, was unstoppable, leading the team with 21 points, including three big 3-pointers that broke the game open in the second half.
Aliou Diarra, continuing his stellar run in the tournament, contributed a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Chasson Randle added 15 points and Youssou Ndoye chipped in with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Even the youngest players got their moment: Ousseynou Sambe, just beginning his BAL journey, made the most of his 3 minutes on the court, grabbing 2 rebounds and scoring 2 points.
APR’s team defense and bench depth proved too much for Rivers Hoopers, who struggled to match the intensity throughout the game.
APR BBC will now face Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya in the BAL5 Championship Final. The Libyan powerhouse is coming off an impressive run in the Nile Conference and has already beaten APR twice this season, 90–68 and 106–102.
