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Star shooting guard Amadou Abdoulaye Harouna poured in 25 points and collected seven rebounds for ABC, while Seydougou Fofana Santis added 21 points and eight rebounds.
ABC Fighters marked their first Basketball Africa League game with an impressive 76-70 win over AS Douanes in Dakar, Senegal, on Saturday.
The Fighters of Côte d'Ivoire are playing in the competition for the first time and will be pleased with the start.
Beating AS Douanes, the host team of the Sahara Conference, is no mean feat for the first time.
Kwara Falcons of Nigeria, Stade Malien (Mali), City Oilers (Uganda), and Egypt's Al Ahly are the other teams that qualified for BAL Season Three for the first time.
Al Ahly, the Egyptian giants qualified after dethroning former BAL Season One Champion Zamalek in the Egypt Basketball Super League.
ABC might not have been to BAL before, but their tactician Liz Mills coaches Morocco's AS Sale in the previous season.
The Ivorians got out of the blocks early and took the first quarter 25-14 and the second 18-15 to go into the half-time break with a by 14 points (43- 29).
The Hosts relied on Terrell Stoglin and Chris Crawford to stage a comeback in the second half.
Stoglin scored 21 points while Crawford added 17 points and six rebounds, but these were not enough as ABC held on for a six-point victory.
Star shooting guard Amadou Abdoulaye Harouna poured in 25 points and collected seven rebounds for ABC, while Seydougou Fofana Santis added 21 points and eight rebounds.
Action in the Sahara Conference will return on Sunday with Rwandan representatives REG taking on Nigeria's Kwara Falcons.
Tunisia's US Monastir will begin their title defence in a clash with Stade Malien.
The BAL third season has seven returning squads and five new entrants. The Kwara Falcons will also be hoping to get out to a winning starting in their maiden game.
REG, returning for a second straight season after defeating Patriots in the Rwandan league, will be hoping to replicate last season's regular season form and make the playoffs.
The BAL playoffs will be held in Kigali, Rwanda and progressing would give REG a chance to play before a home crowd.
Basketball Africa League
Sahara Conference
Saturday result
AS Douanes 70-76 ABC Fighters
Sunday fixtures
REG vs. Kwara Falcons -5pm
Stade Malien vs. US Monastir -8.30pm
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