Libyan champions Al Ahli Tripoli Sports Club and Malian powerhouse Stade Malien have qualified for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) after reaching the final of the West Division Elite 16 of the Road to BAL that concluded in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on Sunday, November 10.
Al Ahli Tripoli beat Stade Malien 71-68 in the final, becoming the first team to win a Road to BAL season undefeated.
During the game, Al Ahli Tripoli led by as many as 20 points in the first half, but they let Stade Malien use a 16-0 scoring run to cut the gap to two points 65-63 with 7 minutes remaining before Deng Angok Yak Deng’s layup extended their lead to 67-63.
Ibrahim Djambo had a chance to cut the gap to 71-70 with 2:28 minutes left but the Malian forward missed both shots from the free-throw line.
Then, Mahamane Coulibaly's three-point attempt ricocheted off the rim to end in the hands of Yak Deng.
No Kevin Murphy, no problem. That was Al Ahli Tripoli's mindset.
Murphy, whose 34 points helped Tripoli qualify for the 2025 BAL season thanks to an 80-76 win over hosts ABC Fighters, was on the street clothes on the bench.
In Murphy' absence, Nassein Bradush assumed the leading scorer role, finishing with 26 points while adding 9 rebounds to his account.
Yak Deng proved a valuable piece again for Tripoli, contributing 15 points and 15 rebounds; Mohamed Sadi added 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. So, Tripoli's starting line-up played a heroic effort for the new champions.
Al Ahli Tripoli may have taken their foot off the pedal in the third and early fourth quarter, but their 20-point advantage in the first half proved crucial as they never trailed throughout the entire game.
If Al Ahli Tripoli are to make an impression in the 2025 BAL seasons, their bench which was outscored 35-2 compared to Stade Malien will need to be more productive.
A team that aims to win a Division title can't shoot 2-for-6 (33%) from the free-throw line, and that has hurt Stade Malien terribly.
With an overall record of 7-0, there is no question who the best team of the conference was.
They made significant changes to their starting line-up in just one month, but they were able to maintain the team's cohesion and competitiveness.
Following the departure of Ivan Almeida, Micheal Eric and Walter Hodge and Tevin Mack, who all played a huge role in Al Ahli Tripoli's 2-0 mark in Group A played on home soil in October, new additions included Kevin Murphy, Kevin Amayo, Angok Yak Deng and Kavell Bigby Williams, who completed the job.