Friday, March 27 Kalahari conference RSSB Tigers 103:95 Al Ahly Leonard Randall II and Teafale Leonard Jr combined for 64 points, helping the RSSB Tigers to defeat Al Ahly Ly, 103:95 in Pretoria, South Africa on Friday, March 27, the opening day of BAL 2026. Randall was on fire from behind the arc, making eight of his 20 attempts and finishing with a game-high 37 points. Leonard Jr., who thrilled fans with a series of dunks and blocked shots, finished with 27 points. Following a balanced first half, in which the Tigers took a narrow five-point lead (52:47) at the break, the third and fourth quarters proved to be pivotal for the Rwandan team, who went on to lead by as many as 18 points. At times, it seemed as if the Libyan champions might turn things around, especially when they tied the game at 59–59 midway through the third quarter. However, this prompted the Rwandans to respond with a 12-0 scoring run, giving them a 71-59 lead. Despite their efforts to fight back, Al Ahly found it too challenging to overcome conceding 16 three-pointers to the Tigers. Lenard Jr., who is playing his second consecutive BAL season, scored the first two points of the 2026 BAL season with a thunderous two-handed dunk. Meanwhile, Randall II, making his BAL debut, caused Al Ahly Ly all sorts of trouble, adding seven assists to his 37-point performance. Ntore Habimana and Antino Jackson Jr added 11 points each, and Mathiang Ayub tied a BAL record with 25 rebounds, adding seven points. Donovann Williams led the way for Al Ahly, shooting 9-for-14 from the floor including an impressive 7-for-9 from behind the arc to finish with a team-high 28 points. Jo Lual Acuil finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while reigning BAL MVP Jean Jacques Boissy had a quiet night, finishing with five points from 2-for-13 shooting.
