Robert Golden had a fantastic debut in the BAL, leading Al Ahly Ly to an 87-76 victory over Cape Town Tigers in the first game of the 2024 BAL Playoffs.
Golden was a late addition to the Libyan champions, stepping in for Pierre Jackson, who had an outstanding performance during the Nile Conference last month.
Golden made 8 of 10 shots from the field, including 5 of 10 from behind the arc, finishing with a team-high 21 points.
But Golden wasn’t just about scoring; he also created shooting opportunities for his teammates and finished with a game-high of 8 assists.
“He gelled in well,” said Kevin Murphy who added 13 points.
“It was a great effort; everyone played hard. We wanted to win to set the tone. Coach kept telling us how important it was to start with a win,” Murphy added.
Dhieu Deing led the Cape Town Tigers in scoring with 21 points. Samkelo Cele contributed 16 points, and Cartier Diarra added 10 points. However, Golden’s BAL debut was a devastating loss for Cape Town.
“For whatever reason we couldn’t get him on time, and he was on fire,” Cele admitted.
The Tigers suffered their fourth loss in five games this season, but Flosh Ngwenya’s team put in a tremendous effort. The Tigers started the game determined to defy the odds, and for most of the game, they were in control. However, Al Ahly Ly used an 11-0 run to extend their lead to 80-58 with 4:19 minutes left, dashing the South African champions’ hopes of a comeback.
It wasn’t just Al Ahly Ly’s 53-36 rebounding advantage that hurt Cape Town Tigers the most but stopping Al Ahly Ly’s 9-20 three-point shooting proved too much in a game where the first 15 points – from either side – came from behind the arc.
Golden later reflected on his BAL debut, saying, “It’s only been five to six days since I joined the team, and I am still getting used to it.”
“It was a huge win for us. It gives us confidence. We have three more games, and hopefully, we’ll win the championship.”
Cape Town will return to action on Sunday to take on the winner of the game between Al Ahly SC and FUS Rabat, while Al Ahly Ly will go up against the losing team of the same game.
