Road to BAL: [Watch] City Oilers make flying start to Elite 16 as they tame COSPN

National Basketball League champions City Oilers got their journey to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) off to a scintillating start with a character-filled display over Madagascar's COSPN.

The nine-time NBL champions dispatched off COSPN with an edgy but excellent 81-76 victory at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A meticulous second half where the Oilers dropped 52 points had them get back up from their second-quarter ruins.

It's the second quarter that had looked to condemn the Oilers to defeat after they suffered an 11- 21 slump.

That had come after a close opening quarter, in which COSPN led by just two points (20-18).

With their characteristic guile, the Mandy Juruni-coached side began the fight-back after half-time, and by the end of the third quarter, they had assumed a 58-57 lead.

The Oilers were yet again on top in the final quarter, which they took 23-19, to eventually win by a five-point difference.

City Oilers' Dane Milner Jnr led the charts as he dropped an impressive 26 points, 9 rebounds and five assists.

Robinson Opong and Petty Parrish added 16 points apiece, while Germaine Roebuck added 12, to make four Oilers players with double figures.

City Oilers will now face Zimbabwe's JBC and Ferroviaro da Beira on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The top three teams in the competition join three others qualified from the West Division Elite 16, plus six teams that boast direct entry to the BAL.