AFRICABASKET - DR Congolese Basketball, Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Standings, Pro Basketball

Didier Mbegna re-signs with Lakers

Didier IlungaMbenga

by Eurobasket News - Sep 25, 2008

Los Angeles Lakers re-signed Didier Mbenga (7'0''-C-80) yesterday morning extending pre-season roster to 19 players. Terms of the agreement are not announced yet. Center Didier Mbenga joined Los Angeles Lakers in January this year. He appeared 26 times in NBA regular season with LAL averaging 2.5 ppg and 1.6 rpg. Mbenga's averages fell to 1.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 7 play-off games. He started 07/08 in Dallas Mavericks but he moved to Golden State before the season officially began.

Los Angeles Lakers re-signed Didier Mbenga (7'0''-C-80) yesterday morning extending pre-season roster to 19 players. Terms of the agreement are not announced yet.

Center Didier Mbenga joined Los Angeles Lakers in January this year. He appeared 26 times in NBA regular season with LAL averaging 2.5 ppg and 1.6 rpg. Mbenga's averages fell to 1.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 7 play-off games. He started 07/08 in Dallas Mavericks but he moved to Golden State before the season officially began. Mbenga joined Dallas in 2004 from Belgian team Spirou Charleroi. He played only 15 games in his rookie season due to various injuries. Next season was slightly better for Mbenga as he played 43 games averaging 1.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg. DJ Mbenga was member of Belgian National Team in 2005 and 2006. With Spirou Charleroi he won the title in Belgian championship in 2004. He joins Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm as Lakers' third center.

Lakers currently have Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, Sun Yue and Brandon Heath on PG. Small guards are Kobe Bryant, Sasha Vujacic, Coby Karl, Joe Crawford and Dwayne Mitchell. Small forwards Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Walton. Power forwards: Pau Gasol, Josh Powell and CJ Giles. Big guys Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm and Didier Mbenga.

Important info is that minimum four players will be cut before the opening night.

Canons face Sadolin in FUBA league

by Eurobasket News - Sep 12, 2008

Thursday (schedule): Basketball league Men Miracle v KIU Power v Canons Ladies Amazon v A1 Results: Men Lions 53 C. High 49 Ladies A1 98 C. High 32 Canons 75 Cubs 46 IT will be second against third in the mens MTN-FUBA basketball league when the UCU Canons take on Sadolin Power at Lugogo Indoor Stadium tonight. The Canons have slighlty erased a poor first round by winning their first two matches after the recess to move up to second place in the standings.

Thursday (schedule): Basketball league
Men
Miracle v KIU
Power v Canons

Ladies
Amazon v A1

Results:
Men
Lions 53 C. High 49

Ladies
A1 98 C. High 32
Canons 75 Cubs 46

IT will be second against third in the mens MTN-FUBA basketball league when the UCU Canons take on Sadolin Power at Lugogo Indoor Stadium tonight.

The Canons have slighlty erased a poor first round by winning their first two matches after the recess to move up to second place in the standings.

Power on the other hand sit in third position, one point behind the Canons, although have played a game less than their Mukono-based University rivals.

Victory will take Power level on 19 points with the Canons. Kyambogo Warriors lead the annual competition with 21 points.

Courtesy of http://www.newvision.co.ug/

Didier Mbenga looses his first NBA final

Didier IlungaMbenga

by Eurobasket News - Jun 18, 2008

Didier Mbenga (214-C-80) and his team Los Angeles Lakers couldn't handle Boston Celtics in NBA play-off final. Celtics demonstrated much better performance and deserved to win 17th championship title in their history. Interesting is that this title number 17 came on June 17th. In the last night's game number 6 of the play-off final Mbenga and his teammates suffered very inconvenient defeat 131-92.

Actually the beginning of the final series didn't promise a lot for Didier Mbenga and Lakers. Celtics beat them in the first two games setting the score in the final on 2-0. In third game Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic led their team to first win against Celtics in the final coming closer on 1-2. During the game number four it seemed that Lakers are capable to tie the score on 2-2 but despite they had plus 24 it didn't happen. Celtics took care for third and maybe the crucial victory of the entire series. After that, Lakers had enough power to celebrate once again coming on 2-3. Nobody knew at that moment that it will be their maximum this season. Celtics gave Lakers real basketball lesson last night finishing the game with plus 39.

Didier Mbenga didn't have an opportunity to play in NBA final but he had 8 games in play-off at earlier stages when he for 7 games averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg. He started the season in Dallas Mavericks, where he played over the past 3 years, but the team waived him before the beggining of the competition. In November he joined Golden State Warriors but his new team decided to release him so in January he finally signed with Lakers. He played 42 games for them in regular season averaging 2 ppg and 1.7 rpg.

Yannick Bokolo finishes season in French Pro A

Yannick Bokolo

by Eurobasket News - Jun 8, 2008

DR Congo (Kinshasa) native, Yannick Bokolo (189-G-85) and his team Le Mans weren't capable to beat Roanne in third game of French Pro A semifinals. They suffered defeat in this deceive game 71-57 loosing the semifinals series 2-1.

Everything started good for Bokolo and his Le Mans. The hosts opened the third decisive game very well ending the first quarter 15-13. But no one knew at that time that it was the end of Le Mans in this game. After these 10 minutes they just stopped to play defense missing many opened shots at the offensive end. Roanne stopped them on just 14 points in the second period while they netted 29. Visitors went on the half time having comfortable lead of 13 points. Both teams continued in the same rhythm in third stanza. Le Mans played a bit better but anyway it was not enough even to come closer. Roanne succeeded to extend lead to 15 points looking forward to the last quarter. Regular season champion with score 23-7 didn't have a power to do anything but to suffer 14 points defeat at the end.

Yannick Bokolo scored just 10 points for his team in three games of semifinal series against Roanne. But he was in a starting five every game having very important role in organizing the plays. He also had important tasks at the defensive end of the court. For 36 games in French Pro A this season he averaged 5 ppg and 3 apg for 21 minutes per game. He also had 14 appearances in Euroleague adding 5.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, and 2.9 apg.

Bokolo is a member of Le Mans since 2003.

Dikembe Mutombo still struggles for the Rockets

Dikembe Mutombo

by Eurobasket News - Apr 22, 2008

Born in 1966 Dikembe Mutombo (218-C-66, college: Georgetown) is a top center in NBA of Houston Rockets. His team had a great regular season, but no trails 0-2 to Utah in the play-offs. The Utah Jazz denied the Houston Rockets home-court advantage by beating them 93:82 away from home in Game 1. The Rockets played without their starting point guard Rafer Alston and never really threatened the Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko notched 21 points to pace the winners. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer contributed 20 points apiece for Utah. Shane Battier answered with 22 points for Houston. Tracy McGrady was held to 20 points in a loss. Dikembe Mutombo collected 6 points, 2 rebounds and made 2 blocks.
The Houston Rockets also found themselves on the brink of elimination. Utah held Tracy McGrady to a single point in the fourth period and drove to the second straight road win in the series. Deron Williams canned 22 points to propel the Jazz to a 90:84 victory. Mehmet Okur came up with 16 points and 16 boards for the winning side. Houston fought bravely and Luis Scola trimmed the difference to 3 points with just over a minute to go. Deron Williams missed his attempt and Bobby Jackson nailed a trey that could have tied the scoreline. But the refs called for a controversial foul on Andrei Kirilenko and denied the effort. Kyle Korver was deadly from the field on the next possession and Houston never recovered. Carlos Boozer nailed 13 points in a win. Tracy McGrady scored 23 points, pulled down 13 boards and dished out 9 assists for Houston. Bobby Jackson nailed 18 points in defeat. Dikembe Mutombo had 2 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Cup of Congo : All-Star Teams presented

Djo Yele

by Kristian Santiago - Jan 8, 2008

After the concluded 24th Cup of Congo, the All- Star Teams were presented by the governing body Febaco:

Women:
Ndaya Muleka (St Eloi Lupopo)
Thethe Ntumba Kazadi (V club)
Mukoso (Radi)
Ngusu Matuka (Radi)
Mungaza (Radi)

Men:
Buzangu Johnico (Kauka)
Buzangu Patrick (Onatra/Matadi)
Djo Yele (-F/C-82) (St Eloi Lupopo)
Assani Ngongo (St Eloi Lupopo)
Josue Mulamba (208-C-88) (Onatra/Kinshasa)

Scoring Awards went out to :
Laurence Odimba Owandjo of St Eloi Lupopo with 118 points in the womens category, while
Nzuzi Malemba (-84) of Onatra/Kinshasa is the best scorer with 263 points for the men.

Kapenda of St Eloi Lupopo , was the best 3-point shooter while Cecile Kapuka of V Club gained the same title in the female version.

Onatra Kinshasa are champions now fot the 16th time while Radi of Lubumbashi premiered with a title in the womens division.

Golden State Warriors decided to waive Didier Ilunga-Mbenga

Didier IlungaMbenga

by Eurobasket News - Jan 7, 2008

Golden State Warriors decided to waive Didier Ilunga-Mbenga (214-C-80). A Congolese centre started the season in the Dallas Mavericks but was later waived by the team as they were looking for room to acquire Juwan Howard. Didier Ilunga-Mbenga averaged 1.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in the season. The Warriors also recalled Kosta Perovic from the NBDL. A Croatian centre was signed by the franchise in August. He did not log any minutes for the Warriors in the current season.

Special 22nd Champions Cup for Men: Primero pounds Onatra 104-46

by Olusegun Ikuesan - Dec 20, 2007

In a bid to reach the grand finale of the 22nd FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Men a second successive time Angolan giant and 2006 runner-up of the Champions Cup Primero De Agosto Thursday stopped the ambition of Democratic Republic of Congo BC Onatra in the quarter-final with as much as 58 points margin.

Primero who parades some of the best hands in Africa basketball wipped the Congolese side by 104-46 points to become the first clubside to book semi-final slot.

The Congolese had put a spirited fight in the first and last quarters (21-18 and 22-17) loses but crumbled like a pack of cards in the second and third quarters (30-06 and 31-05) which shows their inexperience at the top stage of continental basketball competition.

Almeida Carlos led the floor with 21 points, Cipriano Olimpio poured in 18 points and 4 steals, Mayzer Alexandre added 12 points and 6 steals while Costa Armando contributed 10 points to lift the Angola side into the semi-finals.