Rwandan side Rwanda Energy Group (REG), on March 15, secured a spot into the Basketball Africa League playoffs after beating Senegal’s Association Sportive des Douanes (AS Douanes) 69-55 to make it three wins in three games, at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. The playoffs stage will take place in Kigali, in May. ALSO READ: BAL 2023: REG look to maintain perfect run against Senegal’s As Douanes The Rwandan side depended much on dominant ball possession to make the most out of the game, while As Douanes capitalized on fast-paced transitions. The winners’ sense of urgency saw them take a 54-30 advantage – their biggest lead in the game – before winning 69-55. Although AS Douanes out-rebounded REG, 56-48, and had fewer turnovers (16-15) than the Rwandan champions, their poor long range efforts hurt them. Point-guard Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza put up a player of the game performance with 15 points, while Cleveland Thomas Jr contributed 12. Dieudonne Ndizeye set the tone by making three of his five three-point attempts to finish with 13 points. Chris Crawford and Jean Jacques Boissy led AS Douanes with 15 and 14 points, respectively. No other player scored double digits. Unlike AS Douanes, REG made it rain, making 11 of their 33 three-point shots. “This is what basketball is all about,” said REG center Pitchou Manga. “We scouted their movements; we played aggressive defensively, and that’s how we won this game,” said the DR Congo international player. With the win, REG improved to 3-0 while home side AS Douanes dropped to 0-2.
