Dar City close in on BDL title, Reel Dreams stun Tausi Royals

DAR ES SALAAM: DAR City moved within one victory of retaining the Basketball Dar es Salaam League (BDL) men’s title after crushing Stein Warriors 94-56 to take a 2-0 lead in their final series at Don Bosco Oysterbay over the weekend.

The defending champions dominated from the start, opening a 22-9 lead in the first quarter before extending it to 42-22 at half-time.

They continued to pull away after the break, outscoring Stein Warriors 25-12 in the third quarter to lead 67-34 before completing the emphatic victory. Cheikh Bamba led Dar City with 26 points, while James Amotoe added 15 points and eight assists.

Elijah Mukelaba contributed 14 points, with captain Amini Juma collecting 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Ally Mohamed and Brian Muramba scored 12 points each for Stein Warriors, but their efforts could not prevent the heavy defeat.

Dar City remained unbeaten after winning all 15 regular-season matches, sweeping JKT in the best-ofthree quarter-finals and Vijana City Bulls in the best-of-five semi-finals.

They now need one more victory to complete an unbeaten run to the championship.

Meanwhile, Pazi secured third place after beating Vijana City Bulls, improving on their fourth-place finish last season.

ALSO READ: Dar City seal BDL final berth as Tausi Royals edge closer

In the women’s final, Reel Dreams came from behind to beat Tausi Royals 66-60 and take a 1-0 lead in their best-offive series.

Tausi Royals started strongly, taking a 21-14 firstquarter lead, but Reel Dreams responded with a 20-13 second-quarter performance to level the scores at 34-34 at half-time.

Tausi Royals regained a narrow 47-45 advantage after the third quarter, setting up a tense finish.

However, Reel Dreams produced a decisive fourthquarter surge, scoring 21 points against 13 to claim victory. Coulibaly Kadiatou starred for Reel Dreams with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Evelyn Nakiyingi added 16 points and Dorcas Marondera contributed 13 rebounds.

Jesca Julius led Tausi Royals with a game-high 31 points, including four threepointers, while Tumaini Ndossi grabbed 16 rebounds and scored four points.

Reel Dreams will look to build on their opening victory, while Tausi Royals must respond in the next game to level the series and keep their title hopes on track.