Gallant Nairobi City Thunder suffer first loss in Road to BAL qualifiers

In a nail-biting contest, Nairobi City Thunder suffered their first defeat in over a year, losing 89-88 to Burundi’s Urunani in Group D of the East Division in the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers on Friday evening in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The victory extends Urunani's unbeaten run to two years in the tournament, solidifying their reputation as one of the top contenders in this year’s edition.

The highly anticipated clash lived up to expectations, with both teams showcasing fast-paced, competitive basketball.

Urunani’s star player, Marcus Christopher Crawford, made an early impact by scoring both inside and outside the paint, keeping his team competitive in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Thunder’s William Davis was nearly unstoppable, complemented by Tylor Ongwae's crucial points that helped Thunder establish an early lead.

Despite Thunder's dominance, Urunani fought back to tie the game by the end of the quarter.

The game morphed into a thrilling showdown between Davis and Ongwae for Thunder and Crawford and Urunani’s Jean-Jacques Boissy, with the latter proving to be a challenge for Thunder in the second quarter, scoring with ease.

Nevertheless, Davis continued his offensive display, and Ongwae's strong defense limited Crawford's effectiveness. Ongwae hit a clutch basket that gave Thunder a 55-52 lead at halftime.

The intensity diminished in the third quarter, especially after Ongwae and Crawford checked out.

Thunder’s scoring slowed, but they managed to maintain their lead, responding to each challenge posed by Urunani.

By the end of the third quarter, Urunani had narrowed the gap, trailing just 74-72.

The fourth quarter became scrappy, with both teams struggling to score.

A significant turning point occurred when William Davis was injured, leaving Thunder vulnerable in the paint.

Urunani capitalized on Thunder’s weakened defense, and in the final seconds, free throws from Crawford and Boissy secured the 89-88 victory for the Burundian side.

Tylor Ongwae was the standout performer for Thunder, scoring an impressive 23 with Garang Ding making his mark by dominating the boards, securing a total of 10 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Uche Iroegbu contributed significantly with 7 assists, facilitating key plays throughout the match.

For Urunani, Boissy scored a game-high 28 points and provided 9 assists, showcasing his all-around skills.

Thunder will now shift their focus to Game 3 when they face Madagascar's champions, GNBC, as they look to get their qualifying campaign on track.