Jimmy Enabu replaced Ngor Barnaba in the starting lineup, while Tonny Drileba, who had been limited to just four minutes in three games, came off the bench to give City Oilers big minutes.
City Oilers are back in contention for a place in the Basketball Africa League Playoffs following a 96-75 win over Mozambique’s Ferroviario da Beira on Friday night.
The Ugandan champions were on the verge of elimination but registered their first win of the tournament to keep their chances of progressing from the Nile Conference alive.
Head coach Mandy Juruni revealed before the game that the team had held candid discussions amongst themselves to ensure there was improvement going into the last two games of the tournament.
23:44 - 04.05.2023
BAL Win or go home for City Oilers in Basketball Africa League
City Oilers are the only team yet to register any win in the Nile Conference and are bottom of the log.
Jimmy Enabu replaced Ngor Barnaba in the starting lineup, while Tonny Drileba, who had been limited to just four minutes in three games, came off the bench to give City Oilers big minutes.
James Justice Jr. was visibly off the ball at the start of the game, with Germaine Roebuck Jr. and Enabu taking care of the ball.
Justice Jr. and Falando Jones continued to lead Oilers’ offence, hitting two and three connections from downtown, respectively, as Juruni’s charges held a seven-point advantage (23-16) at the end of the first quarter.
Drileba’s first three of the game made it a 10-point lead with seven minutes left in the second frame, and City Oilers took a 16-point advantage (47-31) into the long break.
The lead ballooned to 22 points at some points in the second half as the Mozambicans failed to stop City Oilers’ on the perimeter.
16:54 - 05.05.2023
BAL Petro de Luanda edge Al Ahly in classic Basketball Africa League encounter
Petro's fifth win of the tournament confirms them as the Nile Conference champions with a 5-0 record.
The eight-time National Basketball League champions shot 15 for 29 from downtown to set up a frantic finale on Saturday.
Justice Jr. scored a team-high 25 points to lead the Oilers, while Jones and Roebuck Jr. added 24 and 23 points, respectively.
Drileba shot four for five from downtown to contribute 12 points off the bench.
Najeal Young scored a game-high 29 points for Ferroviario.
With Cape Town Tigers and SLAC also on one win at the moment, determining the last two teams to join Al Ahly and Petro de Luanda will have to be after the final game.
Ferroviario remain third on the log, but their qualification is far from guaranteed.
On Saturday, wins for Oilers and SLAC would leave three teams on two wins and fighting for two slots.
Victory for the Oilers on Saturday will likely be enough to book a ticket to the Basketball Africa League Playoffs in Kigali, Rwanda.
Basketball Africa League
Nile Conference
Friday result
City Oilers 96-75 Ferroviario da Beira
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