NPA Pythons Lose First Two Games at Road to BAL Qualifiers in Tripoli
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Liberia's basketball champions lost 92-69 to Energie BBC and 88-66 to Spintex Knights, and must now win their final Group B game against Nabaya Sofas.
Liberia's NPA Pythons are on the brink of elimination at the Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers in Tripoli, Libya, after losing their first two Group B games, FrontPage Africa reports.
The Pythons, the 2026 Liberia Basketball Association First Division champions, went down 92-69 to Energie BBC of Benin. According to FrontPage Africa, they led by eight points early on but committed 22 turnovers, while Energie recorded 31 assists and held them to 46 percent shooting.
They then lost 88-66 to Ghana's Spintex Knights. Spintex led 18-12 after the first quarter and pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Pythons 22-13 in the third quarter and 29-22 in the fourth.
Spintex lead the group with four points from two games. Nabaya Sofas of Guinea and Energie have three points each, while the Pythons have none.
The top two teams advance to the Elite 16 stage. The Pythons' last group game is against Nabaya Sofas on Friday.
Head coach Raphael Quaye said fitness was a major factor in the loss to Energie, affecting both defence and offence, and that the staff would review performances before the Nabaya Sofas game.