Teafale Lenard Jr. is so confident that RSSB Tigers will advance to the semifinals of the 2026 BAL season that he suggested he may not be needed for Sunday's second of the quarterfinal playoff series against FUS Rabat.
An ankle injury limited the 2.05m swingman to just 8 minutes and 51 seconds in the first half but as his RSSB Tigers went ahead to beat FUS Rabat 95–72 on Friday before a packed BK Arena. President Paul Kagame was also present at the game.
This 23-point victory marked the return of Lenard Jr, who played his first BAL game since helping the RSSB Tigers beat Petro de Luanda in Pretoria, South Africa, on March 29.
He shot 3-for-5 from the floor, finishing with nine points.
However, Lenard Jr. said that the reason for the RSBB Tigers’ win was his teammate, Craig Randall.
For most of the first half, FUS Rabat appeared to be within reach of Tigers, but a sloppy final five minutes, during which they allowed a 14-4 scoring run, proved too much to overcome.
FUS Rabat arrived in Kigali looking to bounce back from their double overtime loss to Al Ahly in Rabat on the last day of the Sahara Conference three weeks ago.
However, playing without Will Perry and Abdoulaye Harouna, the team’s leading scorer, limited their chances.
Meanwhile, to the delight of their home fans, who filled almost every seat of the BK Arena, the RSSB Tigers led from start to finish.
Their fans celebrated every dunk and three-pointer, as well as some spectacular plays performed by their heroes on the court.
But the night belonged to Craig Randall once again, this time before his wife and father.
The left-handed guard shot 11-for-28 from the floor, including 6-for-19 from deep, to finish with 38 points.
This was the fourth time in five games that Leonard had scored over 37 points.
Not even Kuany Atem Kuany’s 12 points and nine rebounds could save FUS Rabat. To make matters worse, their bench was outscored 41–21.
For FUS Rabat (3-3) to advance to the semifinals, they must win by 23 points or more against RSBB (5-1) on Sunday.