Petro Beat The Tigers to Book their Tickets to their Second BAL Final in Three Years

Petro Beat The Tigers to Book their Tickets to their Second BAL Final in Three Years

In the day's second semi-final, Petro de Luanda faced the surprising Cape Town Tigers, who had previously eliminated FUS of Rabat. Fueled by an unyielding determination, Petro was resolute not to miss their chance after a narrow escape against Senegalese giants AS Douanes, where they had trailed by twenty points before making a dramatic comeback.

The Cape Town Tigers edged out a narrow lead in the first quarter, 16-15. However, Petro de Luanda, displaying their unwavering resilience, quickly turned the game around in the second period, with Faust hitting two crucial three-pointers, giving Petro a six-point advantage.

The Angola-based club maintained their lead, going into halftime with a score of 43-37. The gap continued to widen, mainly due to the outstanding performance of the Angolan bench, which contributed 36 points, compared to zero points from the Tigers' bench. On both the bench and the court, the entire Petro team was focused on securing their spot in the final. They were particularly effective in rebounds and second-chance points, dominating the boards with 45 rebounds to the South Africans' 33.

As the game entered the last quarter, the outcome remained undecided. With one minute left, the teams were separated by three points, with Petro leading 75-72. The score was tied at 77-77 after Cele converted her two free throws, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Petro de Luanda's experience began to show. Diarra, the captain of Cape Town, who had scored 17 points, was visibly exhausted and injured. Gonçalves hit a crucial three-pointer to extend Petro's lead to 85-78. With 12 seconds remaining, Petro led by ten points.

In the end, Petro de Luanda secured their victory with a score of 96-86, earning their place in the 2024 BAL Final.