BAL day 10
With four games to go, that’s the setting in the dressing room of Petro de Luanda ahead of Tuesday’s second game in the Nile Conference against Cobra Sports.
They have proclaimed themselves Basketball Africa League (BAL) title contenders since the Angolan champions finished third last year, and Sunday night’s 90-61 win over the Cape Town Tigers was what they call “the start of our goal of win every game in our conference and qualify for the playoffs,” said head coach Jose Neto.
Although Petro de Luanda opened their Nile Conference campaign with a 29-point win — the tournament’s biggest winning margin to date — they had to up their game in the fourth quarter to beat the undermanned Cape Town Tigers and create a struggling Cobra Sports will be a big challenge judging by the way the South Sudanese play.
Petro de Luanda is looking to extend his winning streak to 2-0 while Cobra Sports claim their first win in two games.
“We finished third last season, but this time we want a little bit more,” said Neto, who is in his second season with the Luanda-based team. Cobra Sports plays defensively as aggressively as Petro de Luanda. Not only are they the biggest team in the Nile Conference, but they can run, jump, kick the ball and hold their own to the last buzzer, as seen in their first game against hosts Zamalek, an 80-67 loss that one left a bitter aftertaste in a team that can do much better.
A closer look at the numbers reveals interesting differences between former African champions Petro de Luanda and BAL debutants Cobra Sports.
A game into the Nile Conference, Petro de Luanda has conceded comparatively fewer points (61) against Cobra Sports’ 80.
When it comes to the rotation of the two teams, Petro de Luanda counts on a productive bench that can contribute over 30 points, while Cobra Sports reserves have contributed 20 points so far.
Although Cobra Sports 6-foot-11 center Tom Bush Wamukota, who played a big part during the Road to BAL qualifier, didn’t travel to Cairo, Cobra Sports displayed tremendous rebound ability against Zamalek, passing the hosts 52- 41
However, Petro de Luanda has registered a record 58 rebounds in the Nile Conference after the opening round.
If Cobra Sports don’t protect their touchline, they could have serious trouble dealing with Petro de Luanda’s fast attack. The Angolan champions have attempted more three-pointers (16-46) than two-pointers (16-35).
Carlos Morais turns out to be Petro de Luanda’s key weapon in attack. The shooting guard launched Petro de Luanda’s offensive with 23 points against Cape Town and is the man Coach Neto’s team can rely on at critical moments in the game.
“We came here with the aim of winning every game. We go into the next game with the same attitude. We’re playing aggressive defensively and improving our offense to get another win,” Morais said.
Jone Pedro, who contributed eight points and 15 rebounds to Petro de Luanda’s maiden win, added, “The aggressive defense and quick breaks helped us win the first game. This is how we have to play to move on to the next game.”
On the other hand, Mayan Kiir could be the right man for Cobra Sports.
A 6-foot-9 forward who can dominate at either end of the court, Kiir ignited his team with an impressive 18 points and 22 rebounds against Zamalek.
Cobra Sports head coach Manyang Berberi acknowledged the challenge they face at the Nile Conference but stressed that his team is “ready to fight to the last game. We are competitors. We play for our beloved country.”
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