Back-to-back Rwanda Basketball League champions APR BBC narrowly defeated Patriots 68-67 to complete the first leg with a flawless 8-0 record.
APR Basketball extended their unbeaten run on Sunday, March 17, at Petit Stade, as Adonis Filer’s clutch three-pointer denied the Patriots a historic upset.
Sunny Munyandamutsa’s Patriots built an early 28-20 first-quarter lead and maintained their advantage until the final period. However, APR’s big man Aliou Diarra led a late surge, closing the gap before Filer’s game-winning three-pointer with just one second left.
Despite struggling throughout the game, Filer came through in the clutch, adding another crucial win to APR’s streak after last week’s overtime thriller against REG.
Malian center Aliou Diarra shined in his return from a two-week ankle injury, posting 29 points and 15 rebounds. Ntore Habimana added 13 points, 9 rebounds, and a game-shaping assist to Filer.
For the Patriots, Ronald Kolmia recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Cole Elliot Lamar contributed 14 points, suffering his first RBL defeat.
The Army team leads the standings at 8-0, followed by REG (6-1) and Patriots (5-2), with the latter two set to face off in their final first-leg matchup.
