The reigning Basketball Africa League (BAL) champions Al Ahly SC from Egypt were ousted in Sunday’s first quarterfinals by Libya’s Al Ahly Ly, ending their hopes for back-to-back titles.
The Libyan champions executed a well-revised strategy after losing two games to Al Ahly SC during the 2024 Nile Conference last month in Cairo.
Despite leading by three early in the second quarter, Al Ahly SC saw their lead evaporate as Al Ahly Ly surged in the third quarter, ultimately securing an 86-77 victory.
This marked Al Ahly SC’s largest losing margin in BAL history. Even without sharpshooter Kevin Murphy, Al Ahly Ly managed to dominate, using a 12-0 run to keep Al Ahly SC scoreless for 4:15 minutes in the third quarter.
The game was sealed with a thunderous block by Jo-Lual Acuil Jr on Mark Lyons in the final seconds.
Majok Deng delivered a standout performance, nearly achieving a double-double with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Robert Golden, Al Ahly Ly’s newest addition, caught fire from behind the arc, shooting 5-for-9 and finishing with 23 points and 9 assists.
Jo-Lual Acuil Jr recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Reflecting on the challenge, Al Ahly SC guard Mark Lyons acknowledged the difficulty of beating a strong team like Al Ahly Ly three times in a season.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times, especially a team that good,” said Lyons, who finished with 8 points and a game-high 10 assists.
“They played good. They hit some key shots in the second half to put them up 11 points. Even with us starting to make a comeback, it was too late. Credit to Al Ahly Ly, they are a good and talented team.”
Al Ahly Ly overcame a slow start, finishing the opening quarter 0-4 from long range but improving to 3-for-5 by halftime, thanks to Golden’s two straight threes that helped them take a 38-36 lead.
Majok Deng received valuable instructions from the sidelines from his countryman and former NBA All-Star Luol Deng.
“They were in zone, and I was a bit passive, passing the ball. [Luol Deng] knows how well I shoot the ball, especially in the middle. For a person like him, a person with a great basketball mind, of course I listen to him,” Majok Deng said.
Reflecting on their achievement, Deng emphasized the significance of reaching the semifinals in their first BAL appearance.
“It was a great win. We were down without [Kevin] Murphy. We all had to step up, that’s a big point that we were missing. For us to beat a well-coached team like Al Ahly SC, we had to come with a great mindset from the start,” he noted.
“They beat us twice, we had to get one back, but controlling the tempo was the main thing. In the first half they out-rebounded us. We just needed to slow the game down so we can be on our tempo.”
As Al Ahly SC returns home empty-handed, Al Ahly Ly will continue their campaign on Wednesday, May 29, with the semifinals in their sights.
