Munali Suns beat Bravehearts 79-66 in their Road to BAL 2027 Group E opener, scoring 44 points in the paint. Ofure Ayodele Ujadughele scored seven points during an early surge as Munali secured their opening victory in Lusaka.
Last Updated on
October 31, 2026
Munali Suns opened their Road to BAL 2027 Group E campaign with a confident (if at times tested) 79-66 win over Bravehearts. Zambian powerhouses Munali were in complete control of the paint with 44 points to steer the Group E game in Lusaka. Despite three first-quarter lead changes, both teams traded scoring bursts before Ofure Ayodele Ujadughele got Munali an early edge.
The Nigerian forward scored seven points during Munali’s 15-6 surge, giving the Suns an early foothold in the game. Bravehearts answered with a 10-0 run, taking a 16-15 lead and forcing the Zambian side into an immediate timeout. Chipo Musongo answered after the timeout with a triple, restoring Munali’s lead; Titus Njovu and Frank Siame traded layups.
Those baskets sent Munali into the second quarter leading 20-18; however, the Bravehearts' offence hit a dual roadblock of poor shooting and ball-handling. As a result, the visitors managed only 13 second-quarter points, while Munali added 20 to maintain the lead. Bravehearts failed to score inside the paint throughout the period, instead relying on mid-range attempts and perimeter jumpers.
Douglas Kandulu, Elijah Mukelabai and Musongo protected the rim, disrupting Bravehearts’ offence and limiting options around the basket. Munali continued attacking inside, while one three-pointer from three attempts supplemented their paint scoring during the second quarter. Munali opened the second quarter with an 11-0 run, stretching their lead to 31-18 before Faad Billy answered.
Billy connected on consecutive three-pointers, igniting a Bravehearts response that decreased the deficit to 31-24 before halftime. Munali nevertheless carried a 40-31 halftime advantage into the locker room despite the visitors’ late push that quarter. Bravehearts showed greater fight after halftime, but their defensive struggles continued against Munali’s balanced scoring attack all game.
Munali started the third quarter with a 9-4 run, pushing the lead to a seemingly comfortable 49-35 scoreline as Bravehearts broke down defensively. The visitors cut the deficit to under ten several times, threatening to turn the clash into a genuine late-game fight for the home town club. They closed the Suns’ advantage to 58-53 with 02:15 remaining, then reached 61-56 inside the final minute before Munali steadied again.
The Suns kicked open the fourth quarter and grew their lead to 63-56, adjusting defensively to limit Bravehearts to ten points. Bravehearts initially trimmed the margin to three, but Munali found their first fourth-quarter points nearly three minutes in. Both teams endured a difficult shooting spell before Munali held their opponents scoreless for almost six minutes late.
The defensive stretch ended with under two minutes remaining, as Munali protected their advantage and closed out the victory. Munali finished strong to close out the game with a79-66 win after controlling the decisive moments throughout the closing period against Bravehearts. Munali opened Division East Group E with a victory, as their paint production proved decisive against Bravehearts in Lusaka.
