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By Rasaq Oboirien
Anthony Wilson Jr. has expressed high hopes that Kwara Falcons will bounce back after the team came up short against Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in their opening game of the Basketball Africa League (Sahara Conference) on Sunday in Dakar, Senegal.
The Nigerian basketball champion fought back from a 12-point deficit in the second quarter, and in a turn of events they tied it at 31-31 early in the third quarter.
However, that resurgence meant a wake-up call for the REG, who responded with a 15-0 run to cruise to the 64-48 victory
“One game doesn’t define us,” said a defiant Wilson Jr.
He added: “We got to fix what we need to fix and come firing on our next game.”
For the second time in the history of the BAL, a Nigeria team lost their opening game in the competition.
Two years ago, Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers fell short to Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club in the opener of the inaugural BAL in Kigali.
Hope and fight back spirit will be key to Kwara Falcons if they are to reach the BAL play-offs, something the Hoopers failed to achieve.
“Anything can happen. We have already proven that we belong here,” Wilson Jr, went on saying.
“We just need to execute more. This is the first time everybody is playing together. We just need to work on things to make us better,” Wilson Jr observed.
REG guard Adonis Filer acknowledged Kwara Falcons’ effort.
“Shoutout to the Falcons for playing a good hard game,” he said.
But Filer, who is in second BAL season, went on to explain that “the next win is always the best win.”
