WASHINGTON — The Basketball Africa League (BAL) season three tipped-off Saturday at the Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal with a 76-70 win by debutants ABC Fighters from Ivory Coast over hosts AS Douanes.
The Abidjan-based team made their debut in the tournament as first time participants beating Dakar's own AS Douanes, who participated in the inaugural BAL season.
Abidjan Basket Club Fighters' led majority of the game but their lead was cut short by AS Douanes in the fourth quarter.
AS Douanes was down 52-62 with under eight minutes remaining, and cut the led to two with four minutes left. Foul trouble for the Senegalese side gave ABC space to increase their lead, ending in the win by seven.
Abidjan Basket Club Fighters' Amadou Harouna said, "we never panicked. We wanted to win this game, and we did it."
Harouna led his team with 25 points, seven rebounds and two assists and was named Player of the Game.
"He can do this for four more games," ABC coach Liz Mills said of Harouna’s performance.