CRBT Clinch Road to BAL Elite 16 Bronze Medal BAL Berth Eludes Their Grasp

CRBT Clinch Road to BAL Elite 16  Bronze Medal BAL Berth Eludes Their Grasp

Centre de Reference de Basketball de Tombouctou (CRBT) ended their Elite 16 campaign on a winning note, defeating Accra Basketball League champs, Spintex Knights 90-64 to secure third place in the classification round. The victory, however, was bittersweet as it showcased their status as a top team in the tournament but left them just short of qualification for the 2026 Basketball Africa League.

After missing out on tickets to the BAL, both teams aimed for a significant consolation prize by competing for the bronze medal. Throughout the game, their relentless back-and-forth demonstrated a contest driven by sheer determination. CRBT played with urgency, controlling the tempo for much of the match as they maintained focus on their goals. Initially, they faced a resilient Spintex Knights side that refused to be trounced. However, that resilience broke down in the fourth quarter.

CRBT's Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and the Spintex Knights James Amotoe sharpshooter both finished with 19 points apiece, with the former grabbing more rebounds at 14, as opposed to James' four rebounds. Still, it was Coulibaly's support cast who stood out, as Ibrahima Fofana and Samba Fall both combined for 29 points.

The Knights had made a strong start to the game in the opening quarter when James Amotoe had made the first basket with less than a minute on the clock. Abdoul Karim Coulibaly then responded by making a jump shot to tie the game before Ibrahima Fofana converted from beyond the arc to go three points clear. The Knights then regained the lead with 3:24 on the clock and never looked back as they closed out the first quarter with a six-point lead at 21-15. 

CRBT then went on an 8-0 ran at the start of the second quarter to regain the lead before the Ghanaians began to stage a comeback. Still, the Malians showed more spark and went into halftime with a five-point lead, the score at 41-36, leaving the Ghanaian champions to do the chasing in the second half.

Any hopes of a comeback in the second half were doused late on by the Mali-based club as they surged into another comfortable lead in the third quarter, despite a strong push by the Knights, who went on to register 19 points as against CRBT's 24 points, with only the deciding quarter left for the Knights to salvage the game. However, the deciding quarter went the way of the second and third with CRBT continuing its dominance on both ends of the floor, completely blowing out the Knights 25-9 to close out the final quarter.

In the end, CRBT posted 25 points from turnovers, compared to the Spintex Knights' seven points. They also edged the points in the paint, 36 to 34, but it was the fast break points that confirmed the edge for the Malians, as they posted 18 against the Knights' 12. 

With the tournament concluded in Praia, CRBT heads home with the consolation of a podium finish. At the same time, for the Spintex Knights, the journey ends in fourth place, a massive disappointment for the Ghanaian club, who were seeking to become the first club from the Accra Basketball League to qualify for the Basketball Africa League.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/Road to BAL]