Rwanda Energy Group, REG claim Sahara Conference after a 94-89 victory at Dakar Arena against Mozambican side Clube Ferroviario da Beira. They sealed a 4-1 win ratio and clinch the 2022 BAL Final games ticket as well as becoming the first team to win the conference in BAL history
Dakar, March 15, 2022, The Rwandan flag bearers and east African representative in 2022 Basketball Africa League, Rwanda Energy Group Basketball Club have secured the top spot of the Sahara Conference ahead of giants US Monastir.
With REG’s 94-89 win on Tuesday night against the Mozambicans, the Rwanda Energy Group, REG finished the BAL regular season with a 4-1 win-loss record. The same ratio as Tunisian’s US Monastir however, the rule states that when the teams are tied at the end of the competition, head-to-head matches will be the tie-breaker. REG blew out US Monastir 77-74 a day before.
The Rwanda National Champions started Tuesday’s game strong and led by 10 points at the break (20-17, 28-21) before CF-Beira turned things around and took the control of the third quarter, 18-23. In the last quarter, both teams come out hot with good offensive game plans and an up-tempo pace as they all put in 28 baskets aside.
Starman Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza scored a game-high and BAL career-best 28 points. Nshobozwa shoot 8-11 from behind the arc while Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba added 21 points also dishing out 4 assists and grabbing 13 rebounds. This stellar performance earned Ndizeye a player of the game.
Robert John Pack Jr and his REG team had to fight and win the game to make sure that they secured the number one seed in Sahara Conference and be guaranteed to face the #4 seed from the Nile conference when the playoffs tip off in Kigali.
REG finished Sahara Conference in the first position, followed by US Monastir, AS Salé and SLAC in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions respectively. The positions that guarantee them the playoffs in Kigali. CF-Beira and DUC are eliminated.
The Basketball Africa League Nile Conference will tip-off on April 9th with the playoffs slated in Kigali from May 21-28 this year.