NAIROBI (Kenya) – Fox Basketball was taught a tough lesson in its Elite 16 Eastern Division opener against City Oilers and it was, according to coach Ajou Deng, a wake-up call.
However, they failed to find their strength, losing 70-61 in a match that saw 14 lead changes, a competition record.
In a match where many expected the South Sudanese to struggle against the undefeated Burundians (in the group stage), they held off Mamadou Pabi Gueye’s men point for point to lead 8-7 in the middle of the first quarter which saw six lead changes, ending 14-10 in favor of Gueye’s men.
Stephen Garbrah kicked off a 10-point run for Fox in the second quarter, with Aluk Adub and Akuel Marko Kot each contributing a basket to lead 20-16. Mohamed Doumbya tied it at 23 points with 2:41 left in the match and Urunani regained the lead to go to the locker room with the narrowest of advantages, 26-25.
THE TURNING POINT OF THE MATCH: Two consecutive three-pointers for Fox by Makuei Puondak and Gob Makuac Gob, and one for Jean-Jacques Boissy for Urunani, put Fox up 31-29 early in the third quarter, and that’s when Gueye introduced Christopher Crawford, who had remained off the field until then.
His first contribution, a shot from beyond the arc with 4:14 remaining, sparked a 9-1 run for his team, which turned the tide, taking its largest lead to that point , 47-37, with just 2:20 remaining, with Fox closing the gap to 49-44 heading into the final period. Deng’s protégés, who spared no effort, however, failed to find the fault and gave in.
THE HEROES OF THE MATCH: If the contribution of Crawford, who played a little more than 16 minutes before being sent off, tipped the match in favor of Urunani, we cannot ignore the presence of Doumbya, who achieved a double-double (23 points, 17 rebounds) to lead the team to victory.
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: Urunani was more present in the racket, with a score of 32-20, which made the difference in a match that was hotly contested on all fronts.
CONCLUSION : Urunani is now 6-0 in the Road to BAL, but his work is far from done, even though he has secured a place in the semi-finals. Fox needs to get his act together and aim for a win in his final match against Matero Magic.
THEY SAID: “It’s a great collective effort that puts us in a good position to move forward. It’s certain that we had some difficulties in the first half, but we relied on our defense. As long as the defense is well organized, We can continue to win. The last match of the group stage will be difficult, but I think it will be won thanks to physicality and tactics. We will follow the coaches’ plan and we hope to achieve victory. Mohamed Doumbya, ailier d’Urunani.
“Urunani did a good job with stoppages and quick plays, but we didn’t keep the ball well. This is our first time on this stage, but I’m incredibly proud of these guys and the fight they put up in this match and in the whole competition We have one more match to manage, we will make some adjustments and look for this victory. Makuwei Puondak, Fox Basketball winger.
FIBA
