2023 BAL Sahara Conference
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
The Sahara Conference of the 2023 BAL season was played from 11 March to 21 March 2023 and was hosted in the Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal for a second straight season in a row. In a group of six teams, all team played each other one time. The top four teams in the standings advanced to the 2023 BAL Playoffs.
REG were the defending Sahara Conference champions, having won the 2022 Conference. The defending champions US Monastir, who won the 2022 BAL Finals, were unable to qualify for the playoffs. Five teams finished with a 3–2 record, which meant head-to-head point difference decided the ranking. Stade Malien ended up as Conference winners.
Standings
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WL
|for_against_style=points|show_GB=no|ranking_style=percentage
|source=[https://thebal.com BAL], [https://www.flashscore.com/basketball/africa/bal/standings/#/OrM8chCS/table Flashscore]
|update=complete
|team1=SML|team2=ASD|team3=REG|team4=ABC|team5=USM|team6=KWA
|win_KWA=0|loss_KWA=5|pf_KWA=341|pa_KWA=381
|win_ABC=3|loss_ABC=2|pf_ABC=389|pa_ABC=390| hth_ABC=SML
|win_USM=3|loss_USM=2|pf_USM=381|pa_USM=388| hth_USM=SML
|win_REG=3|loss_REG=2|pf_REG=356|pa_REG=344| hth_REG=SML
|win_ASD=3|loss_ASD=2|pf_ASD=350|pa_ASD=331| hth_ASD=SML
|win_SML=3|loss_SML=2|pf_SML=378|pa_SML=361| hth_SML=Five tied teams were ranked on point differential in the games against each other: 1) Stade Malien +13; 2) AS Douanes +12; 3) REG –4; 4) ABC Fighters –4; 5) US Monastir –18.
|name_ASD={{flagicon|SEN}} AS Douanes|status_ASD=H
|name_KWA={{flagicon|NGR}} Kwara Falcons
|name_ABC={{flagicon|CIV}} ABC Fighters
|name_REG={{flagicon|RWA}} REG
|name_SML={{flagicon|MLI}} Stade Malien
|name_USM={{flagicon|TUN}} US Monastir
|res_col_header=Q
|result1=QF |result2=QF | result3=QF | result4 = QF
|col_QF=green1 |text_QF=Advance to playoffs
| match_ASD_ABC=70-76
| match_REG_KWA=64-48
| match_SML_USM=68-78
| match_KWA_SML=74-78
| match_ABC_REG=73-80
| match_USM_KWA=85-74
| match_REG_ASD=69-55
| match_ABC_USM=90-74
| match_ASD_SML=74-58
| match_SML_REG=84-64
| match_KWA_ASD=68-75
| match_KWA_ABC=76-79
| match_REG_USM=79-84
| match_ABC_SML=71-90
| match_USM_ASD=60-76
| match_SML_ASD=null
| match_SML_ABC=null
| match_SML_KWA=null
| match_ASD_REG=null
| match_ASD_USM=null
| match_ASD_KWA=null
| match_REG_SML=null
| match_REG_ABC=null
| match_ABC_ASD=null
| match_ABC_KWA=null
| match_USM_SML=null
| match_USM_REG=null
| match_USM_ABC=null
| match_KWA_REG=null
| match_KWA_USM=null
|show_matches=true
|matches_style=BSR
|short_style=noflag
}}
Games
= 11 March =
ABC Fighters won the opening day match-up with hosts AS Douanes, behind Abdoulaye Harouna who made his team debut with 25 points. It was the second consecutive year that a Senegalese club lost the home opener in Dakar, after DUC lost in the 2022 season opener.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-11 |title=Harouna ruins debut for host team AS Douanes |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/harouna-ruins-debut-for-host-team-as-douanes |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}{{Basketballbox|date=11 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=AS Douanes {{flagicon|SEN}}|teamB={{flagicon|CIV}} ABC Fighters|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236567/ Boxscore]|scoreA=70|scoreB=76|Q1=14–25|Q3=17–15|Q4=22–18|Q2=17–18|points1=Stoglin 21|rebounds1=Maluach 9|assist1=Crawford, Ndour 4|points2=Harouna 25|rebounds2=Obekpa 9|assist2=Obekpa, Robinson 5|referee=Charles Watson, Antonio Bernardo, Kalume Tonton Banza|attendance=9,873|id=AS Douanes v ABC Fighters}}
= 12 March =
US Monastir opened their 2023 season with a win, while they gave up 21 turnovers against Stade Malien. Souleymane Berthe, the 22-year old starting forward of Stade Malien, scored 34 points in his BAL debut.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-13 |title=Defending champions show teeth to beat Stade Malien |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/defending-champions-show-teeth-to-beat-stade-malien |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}{{Basketballbox|date=12 March 2023|time=14:00|teamA=REG {{flagicon|RWA}}|teamB={{flagicon|NGR}} Kwara Falcons|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236568/ Boxscore]|scoreA=64|scoreB=48|Q1=16–9|Q2=15–20|Q3=24–8|Q4=9–11|points1=Graham 16|rebounds1=Graham, Kambuy Manga 12|assist1=Filer 8|points2=Adekoya 15|assist2=Monyyong 4|rebounds2=Monyyong 7|referee=Kevin Fahy, Arnold Moseya, Claudio Eiuba|attendance=214|id=REG v Kwara Falcons}}{{Basketballbox|date=12 March 2023|time=17:30|teamA=Stade Malien {{flagicon|MLI}}|teamB={{flagicon|TUN}} US Monastir|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236569/bs.html#ASFSK Boxscore]|scoreA=68|scoreB=78|Q1=15–23|Q2=22–21|Q3=12–16|Q4=19–18|points1=Berthe 34|rebounds1=Diarra 14|assist1=Keita 3|points2=Randle 18|rebounds2=Thomas 10|assist2=Randle 7|attendance=883|referee=Nate Cearley, Yann Vezo Davidson, Erick Otieno|id=Stade Malien v US Monastir}}
= 14 March =
Stade Malien won their first-ever BAL game behind Aliou Diarra, who had 23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against the Falcons. Kwara Falcons' 17-year old Modou Fall Thiam impressed by scoring 11 points off the bench.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-15 |title=Diarra, Berthe lead Stade Malien for first BAL win |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/diarra-berthe-lead-stade-malien-for-first-bal-win |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}{{Basketballbox|date=14 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=Kwara Falcons {{flagicon|NGR}}|teamB={{flagicon|MLI}} Stade Malien|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|attendance=300|scoreA=74|scoreB=78|Q2=16–18|Q1=15–18|Q3=18–28|Q4=25–14|rebounds1=Mohammed 8|points1=Wilson 19|assist1=Mordi 5|points2=Diarra 23|rebounds2=Diarra 14|assist2=Three players 3|referee=Biniam Maru, Kalume Tonton Banza, Dorothy Okatch|id=Kwara Falcons v Stade Malien}}
The Rwandan champions REG had no trouble with AS Douanes and was reported by the BAL to be the first team to clinch their spot in the 2023 BAL Playoffs; however this turned out to be incorrect.{{Cite web |title=How REG secured the first 2023 BAL Playoffs spot |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/how-reg-secured-the-first-2023-bal-playoffs-spot |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}
{{Basketballbox|date=14 March 2023|time=19:30|teamA=ABC Fighters {{flagicon|CIV}}|teamB={{flagicon|RWA}} REG|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|scoreA=73|scoreB=80|Q1=20–17|Q2=24–20|Q3=19–26|Q4=11–17|points1=Konaté 16|assist1=Konaté 6|rebounds1=Obekpa 11|points2=Filer 25|rebounds2=Graham 10|assist2=Thomas 6|attendance=300|referee=Stephanie Barksdale, Aboolo Amr, Erick Otieno|id=ABC Fighters v REG}}
= 15 March =
{{Basketballbox|date=15 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=US Monastir {{flagicon|TUN}}|teamB={{flagicon|NGR}} Kwara Falcons|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://basketball.realgm.com/international/boxscore/2023-03-15/Kwara-Falcons-at-US-Monastir/435270 Livestats]|scoreA=85|scoreB=74|points1=Thomas 22|rebounds1=Lahyani 10|assist1=Randle 8|points2=Ezeh 22|rebounds2=Monyyong 9|assist2=Mordi 6|attendance=372|Q1=20–17|Q2=23–20|Q3=23–18|Q4=28–20}}{{Basketballbox|date=15 March 2023|time=19:30|teamA=REG {{flagicon|RWA}}|teamB={{flagicon|SEN}} AS Douanes|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|attendance=4,010|scoreA=69|scoreB=55|Q1=25–12|Q2=17–12|Q3=15–12|Q4=12–19|points1=Nshobozwabyosenumukiza 14|rebounds1=Nshobozwabyosenumukiza 10|assist1=Thomas 6|rebounds2=Crawford 9|assist2=Stoglin 5|points2=Crawford 17|referee=Kevin Fahy, Sara Elsharnouby, Claudio Eiuba|report=[https://basketball.realgm.com/international/boxscore/2023-03-15/AS-Douanes-at-REG/435271 Boxscore]|id=REG v AS Douanes}}
= 17 March =
ABC Fighters stunned the favoured defending champions Monastir, behind a game-high 33 points from Abdoulaye Harouna. They ended Monastir's 5-game winning streak lasting from March 2022.{{Cite web |title=Mills’ ABC stun champions Monastir |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/mills-abc-stun-champions-monastir |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}
{{Basketballbox|date=17 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=ABC Fighters {{flagicon|CIV}}|teamB={{flagicon|TUN}} US Monastir|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236574/ Boxscore]|scoreA=90|scoreB=74|attendance=800|points1=Harouna 33|Q1=21–27|Q2=20–9|Q3=17–18|Q4=32–20|rebounds1=Obepka 9|assist1=Harouna, Fofana 3|referee=Nate Cearley, Sara Elsharnouby, Arnold Moseya|points2=Randle 25|rebounds2=Thomas 10|assist2=Randle 5|bg=|id=ABC Fighters v US Monastir}}
After Stade Malien led 17–16 in the first quarter, AS Douanes never trailed and led by as many as 20 points (66–46) in the fourth quarter. Chris Crawford led Douanes with a game-high 21 points. The league's all-time leading scorer, Terrell Stoglin, did not play.{{Cite web |title=Was this AS Douane's comeback moment? |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/was-this-as-douanes-comeback-moment |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The BAL |language=en}}
{{Basketballbox|date=17 March 2023|time=19:30|teamA=AS Douanes {{flagicon|SEN}}|teamB={{flagicon|MLI}} Stade Malien|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236575/ Boxscore]|scoreA=74|scoreB=58|attendance=3,059|points2=Berthe 17|Q1=21–17|Q2=12–12|Q3=14–13|Q4=27–16|assist2=Mamadou Keita 4|rebounds2=Diarra 14|assist1=Ndour 5|points1=Crawford 21|rebounds1=Ndiaye 8|bg=|id=AS Douanes v Stade Malien}}
= 18 March =
{{Basketballbox|date=18 March 2023|time=14:00|teamA=Stade Malien {{flagicon|MLI}}|teamB={{flagicon|RWA}} REG|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236576/ Boxscore]|scoreA=84|scoreB=64|Q1=22–12|Q2=15–20|Q3=23–17|Q4=24–15|points1=Berthe 23|assist1=Amayo 6|rebounds1=Diarra 16|points2=Filer 19|rebounds2=Chomche 9|assist2=Thomas 10|attendance=650|referee=Biniam Maru, Aboolo Amr, Dorothy Okatch|id=Stade Malien v REG}}{{Basketballbox|date=18 March 2023|time=17:30|teamA=Kwara Falcons {{flagicon|NGR}}|teamB={{flagicon|SEN}} AS Douanes|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236577/ Boxscore]|scoreB=75|scoreA=68|Q1=17–20|Q2=18–21|Q4=21–16|Q3=12–16|points1=Ezeh 12|rebounds1=Mordi 7|assist1=Mordi 4|points2=Boissy 22|rebounds2=Diagne 6|assist2=Crawford 6|attendance=6,571|referee=Kevin Fahy, Sara Elsharnouby, Didier Gaga|id=Kwara Falcons v AS Douanes}}
= 20 March =
The game was a re-match of the 2022 Sahara Conference, when REG beat Monastir and won the conference. Monastir led by as much as 21 points in the third quarter, before a come back by REG cut the lead to just five points with two minutes left on the clock. After three turnovers, Monastir won the game and qualified for the playoffs. Cleveland Thomas of REG scored 38 points, after shooting 13-for-21 from the field, the second most in BAL history.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-20 |title=Randle, Thomas lead Monastir to playoffs |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/randle-thomas-lead-monastir-to-playoffs |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=The BAL |language=en}}
Kwara Falcons, already eliminated, was competitive against the ABC Fighters. The Fighters won the game after back-to-back three pointers by their South Sudanese guard Chudier Bile. As a result, they were the second team to successfully qualify for the playoffs.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-20 |title=Bile’s heroics send ABC to playoffs |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/biles-heroics-send-abc-to-playoffs |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=The BAL |language=en}}{{Basketballbox|date=20 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=Kwara Falcons {{flagicon|NGR}}|teamB={{flagicon|CIV}} ABC Fighters|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236578/ Livestats]|scoreA=76|scoreB=79|Q1=19–23|Q2=14–18|Q3=21–20|Q4=22–18|points1=Wilson Jr. 15|rebounds1=Mordi 14|assist1=Mordi 6|points2=Bile 24|rebounds2=Obekpa 7|assist2=Robinson 5|attendance=472|referee=Biniam Maru, Yann Vezo Davidson, Erick Otieno|id=Kwara Falcons v ABC Fighters}}{{Basketballbox|date=20 March 2023|time=19:30|teamA=REG {{flagicon|RWA}}|teamB={{flagicon|TUN}} US Monastir|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236579/ Livestats]|scoreA=79|scoreB=84|Q1=10–25|Q2=20–13|Q3=16–25|Q4=33–21|points1=Thomas 38|rebounds1=Graham, Ndizeye 7|assist1=Thomas 4|points2=Randle 32|rebounds2=Thomas 7|assist2=Five players 3|attendance=600|referee=Nate Cearley, Kalume Tonton Banza, Erick Otieno|id=REG v US Monastir}}
= 21 March =
Stade Malien, still unqualified at the time, dominated ABC Fighters as they led by as much as 27 points late in the fourth quarter (84–57). Aliou Diarra recorded his fifth double-double in five games, with 22 points and 10 rebounds.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-21 |title=Stade Malien deserved to win – Mills |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/stade-malien-deserved-to-win-mills |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=The BAL |language=en}}
Ahead of the final game of the Sahara Conference, US Monastir was on top of the table with a 3–1 record. However, hosts AS Douanes convincingly defeated Monastir behind Chris Crawford's 28 points (of which 22 points were scored in the first quarter); this led to a tie between five teams. Because of the wide margin of victory, US Monastir finished with the lowest point difference in matches against the tied teams and was eliminated, the first reigning BAL champion to miss the playoffs.{{Cite web |title=Boissy, Crawford end US Monastir’s title defense |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/boissy-crawford-end-us-monastirs-title-defense |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=The BAL |language=en}} The victory also meant that Douanes would finish second, and Stade Malien, in fourth position in the beginning of the day, finished as Conference winners.{{Cite web |title=What happened at the 2023 Sahara Conference? |url=https://bal.nba.com/news/what-happened-at-the-2023-sahara-conference |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=The BAL |language=en}}{{Basketballbox|date=21 March 2023|time=16:00|teamA=ABC Fighters {{flagicon|CIV}}|teamB={{flagicon|MLI}} Stade Malien|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|scoreA=71|scoreB=90|Q1=10–18|Q2=18–25|Q3=13–22|Q4=30–25|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236580/ Livestats]|referee=Stephanie Barksdale, Antonio Bernardo, Arnold Moseya|attendance=1,567|points1=Konaté 19|rebounds1=Robinson, Konaté 8|assist1=Robinson 8|points2=Diarra 22|assist2=Berthé 7|rebounds2=Chinyelu 13|id=ABC Fighters v Stade Malien}}{{Basketballbox|date=21 March 2023|time=19:30|teamA=US Monastir {{flagicon|TUN}}|teamB={{flagicon|SEN}} AS Douanes|place=Dakar Arena, Dakar|report=[https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/BAL/2236581/ Livestats]|scoreA=60|scoreB=76|Q1=10–22|Q2=22–10|Q3=12–14|Q4=16–20|points1=Lahyani 15|rebounds1=Slimane 9|assist1=Bouallegue, Slimane 3|points2=Crawford 28|rebounds2=Boissy, Ochereobia 7|assist2=Ndour 5|attendance=6,761|referee=Charles Watson, Aboolo Amr, Didier Gaga|id=US Monastir v AS Douanes}}