Giants Get Their Campaign Off To a Good Start In Kenya With A Strong Win Over the Blazers

Giants Get Their Campaign Off To a Good Start In Kenya With A Strong Win Over the Blazers

The Johannesburg Giants bagged a convincing victory over the Namuwongo Blazers at Kenya's renowned Kasarani Indoor Arena as they went on to seal a 92-71 victory to register their first win in the competition. The result, however, was a second defeat for the Blazers after their opening-day loss to the home side, Nairobi City Thunder.

Nkosinathi Sandile Sibanyoni was a standout performer for the Giants as his rebounding and balanced scoring contributed significantly to the outcome. At the same time, the Blazers fought hard but couldn't keep up with their opponents' pace and defence. He finished with 16 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, 12 of them on the defensive end, providing a lot of grit and consistency for his team alongside strong support from four other players who hit double digits in points.

Dhieu Dieng posted 15 points and seven rebounds; Lehlogonolo Tholo also bagged 15 points and three rebounds; and experienced Daniel Prinsloo, who played in the Nile Conference last season with another South African outfit, posted 14 points as he grabbed four rebounds. In comparison, Joshua Ozabor finished with 13 points and five rebounds, while their opening-day top performer, Jovan Mooring, finished with 14 points and three rebounds.

Sidy Djitte was the top scorer for the Blazers, also tallying 16 points along with eight rebounds. He was active throughout the game, providing some resistance despite the team's overall struggles.

The Giants started strongly with Nkosinathi Sibanyoni scoring the first two points of the game, and drew some quick responses from the Blazers trio of Anthony Chukwurah, Jovan Mooring and Sidy Djitte to go on an 8-0 run before the Giants clawed their way back in and led at the end of the first quarter by 24-15.

The South African outfit then stretched their advantage in the second quarter, leading by 11 points at one point before heading into the break with a 46-32 scoreline. The Ugandan-based club then staged a solid fightback in the third quarter to set up a nervy final quarter for the Giants as they went on to close out a six-point lead (24-18) at the end of the penultimate quarter to keep things exciting heading into the fourth. But in the final quarter, the Giants shut it down with a 28-15 surge, securing a solid win to kick off their campaign in Nairobi.

The Giants demonstrated strong teamwork and defensive effort, allowing them to maintain control for much of the game. There were only two lead changes, with the Giants' largest lead at 22 points, compared to the Blazers' seven.

The South African outfit excelled in fast-break points, bagging 34 against the Blazers' 11. The Giants' dominance in the paint showed with a 52-34 points tally, while both teams scored a similar number of points off turnovers. The Giants' bench contributed more throughout the game, helping secure the win.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/Road to BAL]