Day 2 of the BAL 2025 Playoffs delivered more surprises and standout performances at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, as APR (Rwanda) upset defending champions Petro de Luanda (Angola) and US Monastir (Tunisia) returned to form by defeating Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria).

APR topples Petro de Luanda in statement win

In a commanding performance, APR stunned Petro de Luanda with a 75–57 victory, powered by a dominant double-double from Aliou Diarra, who tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds. Nuni Omot added 15 points and 6 rebounds as the Rwandan squad maintained control throughout.

Petro de Luanda struggled offensively, with Patrick Gardner leading the way with 13 points and 11 boards, but it wasn’t enough to overcome APR’s well-rounded attack.

US Monastir overcomes Rivers Hoopers behind Babacar Sane

Former BAL champions US Monastir bounced back in style, defeating Rivers Hoopers 83–77 in a tightly contested matchup. Babacar Sane, a product of NBA Academy Africa, led all scorers for Monastir with 22 points, showing elite form on both ends. Patrick Hardy Jr. added 17 points and 9 assists to guide the Tunisian club to victory.

Despite a strong 28-point outing from Raphael Putney, Rivers Hoopers fell short in the final stretch and will now face APR in the quarterfinals.

BAL 2025 Quarterfinals now locked in

With Day 2 complete, two additional quarterfinal matchups are now set:

• APR vs Rivers Hoopers

• US Monastir vs Petro de Luanda

They join Sunday’s win-or-go-home matchups:

• Al Ahli Tripoli vs Kriol Star at 4 p.m. CAT

• Al Ittihad vs FUS Rabat at 7 p.m. CAT

The Basketball Africa League 2025 season is being broadcast in 214 countries and territories and 17 languages, available via Canal+, ESPN, FIBA’s Courtside 1891, and live streams on NBA App, NBA.com, BAL.NBA.com, and the BAL YouTube channel.