US Monastir, Petro de Luanda and Kriol Star Advance to the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs in South Africa

Cape Town: Anderson Correia scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds while Ivan Almeida contributed 14 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, as the Basketball Africa League (BAL) debutant Kriol Star from Cape Verde defeated the defending champion Petro de Luanda of Angola 71-69 in overtime. This victory secured their place in the 2025 BAL Playoffs, which are set to be held at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, from June 6 to 14. NBA Academy Africa prospect Lewis Uvwo played 40 minutes, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks. The Star managed to outrebound Petro 52-43, despite committing 28 turnovers. According to African Press Organization, Glofate Buiamba led Petro with 16 points and Aboubacar Gakou added 15 points and seven rebounds. With both teams ending the season with three wins and three losses, they qualified for the BAL Playoffs in Pretoria, with Petro finishing second and the Star third in the Sahara Conference. In another matchup, Osiris Eldridge with 22 points and four as sists, alongside former NBA Academy Africa prospect Babacar Sane who scored 13 points and collected 12 rebounds, led the 2022 BAL champion US Monastir from Tunisia to a 77-68 victory over ASC Ville de Dakar from Senegal. This win secured Monastir the top spot in the Sahara Conference with a 4-2 record, earning them an automatic qualification to the playoffs. Monastir shot 43 percent from the floor and outrebounded Dakar 45-39. For Dakar, Will Perry led with 20 points and seven assists, while Makhtar Gueye added 18 points as the host team concluded their 2025 BAL campaign.