Their next test comes quickly, against Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, who beat South Africa’s Made by Basketball 87-77 in the earlier match.
Nairobi City Thunder’s long-awaited debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) ended in heartbreak after a heavy 92-63 loss to Rwanda’s APR at the BK Arena in Kigali on Saturday night.
The Kenyan champions began brightly, going toe-to-toe with the hosts in the first quarter, which they edged 23-22. With captain Tylor Ongwae leading from the front, Thunder looked settled and confident, showing glimpses of what they’re capable of on the continental stage.
But their early promise quickly faded. APR stepped up in the second quarter, tightening their defense and exploiting Thunder’s errors to storm into a 39-31 lead at halftime. From then on, the momentum stayed with the Rwandan side.
Malian forward Aliou Diarra was unstoppable for APR. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks and three assists, a dominant all-round display that kept Thunder on the back foot. Chasson Randle added 20 points for the hosts and Youssoupha Ndoye chipped in with 9.
Thunder managed to stay within touching distance in the third quarter, even outscoring APR 21-20, with William Davis II stepping up in the absence of Ongwae, who had been benched after picking up three personal fouls. Ongwae still ended the game as Thunder’s top scorer with 14 points, including two three-pointers and added 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Davis followed closely with 11 points.
But APR turned on the style in the final quarter, blowing the game wide open with a ruthless 33-11 run that left Thunder reeling. Backed by a lively home crowd, the Rwandan champions showed their class and experience, while Thunder seemed to run out of steam.
The result leaves City Thunder at the bottom of the Nile Conference standings, with little margin for error in the remaining round-robin matches. Only the top two teams will advance to the playoffs. Their next test comes quickly, against Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, who beat South Africa’s Made by Basketball 87-77 in the earlier match.