West Division of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 tipped off on Monday in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with eight teams in action.

AS Sale (Morocco), Coton Elan (Benin Republic), SLAC (Guinea), Nueva Era (Equatorial Guinea), Bangui Sporting Club (Central Africa Republic), FAP (Cameroon), Stade Malien (Mali) and Abidjan Basket Club (Cote d’Ivoire).

The tournament will run from Monday, November 14 to Sunday November 20 with three slots up for grabs while the East Division will take place in Johannesburg next week.

On day one of the BAL Elite 16 games in Abidjan, five Nigerians were in action for their respective teams.

While Emeka Nwabuzor and Chirs Obekpa played for SLAC, the trio of Wisdom Anyaoha, Chinedu Martins Chimbuo and Michael Okiki Afuwape played for Coton Elan.

In the early tipoff, Nwabuzor finished with a team high 26 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 91-69 defeat of Nueva Era.

He also made one steal, shot 5 of 12 from behind the arc and 5/6 from the line in 35 minutes.

While Obekpa made 4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks in the game.

It was however a different outcome for the other trio in the last game on day one.

Coton Elan who came to the Elite 16 as wild card had no answers for the host Abidjan Basket Club (ABC) as they lost 96-59.

Michael Afuwape Okiki scored 11 points, 7 assists and shot 4/7 from thr free throw line in 27 minutes on the floor.

Chinedu Martina Chimbuo added 6 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes.

For Wisdom Anyaoha, he had just 9 minutes from the bench. He shot one three pointer and an assist.

Action continues on Tuesday in the West Division of the BAL Elite 16 in Abidjan.

Elan Coton face former FIBA Africa Club Champions AS Sale at 3:30pm WAT while SLAC take on Stade Malien of Mali at 6pm.

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