Nairobi, KENYA: FORMER NBA players, Hasheem Thabeet and Nathaniel Browniee delivered stellar performances to help Tanzania’s 2024 National Basketball League (NBL) Champions, Dar City, secure two wins out of three games at the inaugural East Africa Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC) Zone 5 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dar City claimed their second victory with a thrilling 69-65 overtime win against hosts Kenya Port Authority (KPA) on Wednesday at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium.
Thabeet forced overtime with a crucial three-point play, while Browniee sealed the game with two foul shots and a spectacular dunk.
Browniee led the charge with 30 points, guiding Dar City to victory, while Thabeet contributed 17 points, including a vital three-pointer early in the game.
Dar City led 26-19 at halftime before the teams were tied 63-63 at the final whistle, necessitating an additional five minutes of play.
With just 11 seconds left in overtime, Browniee’s two free throws made it 67-65, followed by a game-clinching basket that secured the win for Dar City.
In their opening game on Tuesday, Dar City stunned hosts Equity Bank Dumas with an emphatic 83-63 victory.
Browniee scored a game-high 29 points and Thabeet added 20 points to the team’s tally.
However, Dar City’s form faltered in their third game on Thursday when they lost 77-58 to Burundian club Ramesha.
Both teams were tied 13-13 after the first quarter, but a dominant 26-8 run by Ramesha in the second quarter gave them a commanding 39-21 halftime lead, which they maintained until the final buzzer.
Dar City Head Coach, Henry Mwinuka acknowledged the challenge of playing back-to-back games.
“The team tried hard. We need to rest. I have a young team and don’t have a strong bench. But we are focused on a podium finish,” Mwinuka said.
Ramesha remained unbeaten, winning all three matches, while Dar City and KPA each recorded two victories.
Tanzania’s second representative, Army Basketball Club (ABC), lost 97-72 to Burundi’s Hippos in a clash of winless teams.
Despite taking a 43-29 halftime lead, ABC couldn’t handle the pressure in the second half. ABC’s Oberlin scored a tournament-high 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.
The six-day EABCC Zone 5 tournament, which concludes tomorrow, features six top men’s teams from three East African Community (EAC) nations; Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya.
