Craig Randall delivered a master class in Pretoria on Saturday, shattering two Basketball Africa League (BAL) records and propelling the RSSB Tigers to a dominant 104–92 victory over Dar City.
The victory keeps the Tigers unbeaten in the Kalahari Conference heading into their final game, but the night belonged to Randall.
The RSSB Tigers guard didn’t just lead his team to a win over Dar City; he rewrote the Basketball Africa League record books in the process.
The left-handed sharpshooter was electric, pouring in 54 points, more than half of his team’s total, and setting a new BAL single-game scoring record.
The #12 shot 18-for-36 from the field and knocked down 11 of his 24 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Tigers came out firing, scoring their first six points from deep. Randall opened the game with a three-pointer, and Axel Mpoyo followed with another to give an early 6–2 lead.
Randall wasn’t alone, though he carried much of the load. Antino Jackson and Makong Mathiang each added 15 points, providing steady support as the Tigers crossed the 100-point mark for the third time in four games. At one stage, they stretched their lead to 17 points, keeping Dar City at arm’s length.
For the Tanzanian side, the task was already steep, and it didn’t get easier. Missing key players David Michineau and Michael Foster, Dar City struggled to contain the Tigers’ offensive flow.
Still, there were bright spots. Junior Madut and Daniel Utomi led the scoring with 21 points apiece, while Nisre Zouzoua added 19 and Sisco Ngaiza chipped in 15.
After the game, Zouzoua, who spent much of the night guarding Randall, was candid.
“They played a tremendous game,” he said. “We just have to focus a bit more on defence. They made some tough shots, but it’s hard to win when you concede 100 or more points. We have to be better defensively.”
He also gave credit where it was due.
“Hats off to him for his tremendous shooting ability.”
Dar City closes out the Kalahari Conference with a 2–3 record, while the RSSB Tigers, already through to the playoffs, will face Nairobi City Thunder on Sunday, looking to finish the group stage unbeaten.
