CS Tlemcen claimed a valuable road win in the Algeria Super Division on Friday night, defeating CRB Dar Beida 79-70 in a contest decided by a decisive third-quarter surge and a composed closing stretch from the visitors. The nine-point margin flatters the hosts slightly, but there was no arguing with the efficiency of Tlemcen's half-court offense down the stretch.

Match Overview

The game tipped off at 23:00 local time in front of a lively Dar Beida crowd, and the opening exchanges suggested a tight, low-scoring affair. Both teams traded baskets through the first ten minutes, with Tlemcen's perimeter shooting giving them a narrow edge. The visitors never trailed by more than four points at any stage, and once they wrestled control in the third period, they managed the game with the maturity of a side chasing a playoff berth.

Final score: CRB Dar Beida 70 – 79 CS Tlemcen

• Quarter 1: CRB Dar Beida 19 – 22 CS Tlemcen
• Quarter 2: CRB Dar Beida 18 – 20 CS Tlemcen
• Quarter 3: CRB Dar Beida 16 – 19 CS Tlemcen
• Quarter 4: CRB Dar Beida 17 – 18 CS Tlemcen

How the Game Unfolded

Dar Beida started with intent, feeding the ball inside early and attacking the offensive glass. Their big men gave them second-chance points and kept the scoreboard ticking, but the hosts struggled to convert from beyond the arc, finishing the night well below their usual shooting numbers from three-point range.

Tlemcen, by contrast, were patient. Their guards worked the pick-and-roll repeatedly, drawing help defenders and kicking out to open shooters. That discipline produced a steady stream of open looks, and it is telling that the visitors won every single quarter — by three, two, three and one point respectively. No single explosion decided this game; instead, it was a cumulative advantage built on better shot selection and fewer turnovers.

Key Moments

The turning point arrived midway through the third quarter. With Dar Beida having cut the deficit to a single possession, Tlemcen responded with a 9-0 run fueled by two transition baskets and a corner three. The home bench called timeout, but the momentum had shifted for good.

Dar Beida made one last push in the fourth, trimming the gap to five points with just under four minutes remaining. Tlemcen's response was clinical: a post-up score, a pair of free throws, and a defensive stop that forced a hurried, contested shot at the other end. From there, the visitors iced the game at the line.

Tactical Story

Tlemcen's defensive game plan was clear — pack the paint and dare Dar Beida to shoot from outside. It worked. The hosts were forced into long, late-clock attempts, and their offensive rebounding advantage was not enough to compensate for poor perimeter efficiency.

Offensively, Tlemcen leaned on ball movement. Their assist-to-turnover ratio was comfortably the better of the two teams, and they consistently found the extra pass against Dar Beida's rotating zone. When the hosts switched to man-to-man in the second half, Tlemcen simply attacked the mismatch inside, drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line repeatedly in the closing minutes.

Standout Players

• Yacine Boudjema (CS Tlemcen): The engine of the offense, controlling tempo and hitting the big shots in the third-quarter run. His decision-making in the final five minutes was the difference between a tense finish and a comfortable win.
• Sofiane Hamdi (CS Tlemcen): Dominant on the boards at both ends, providing the second-chance points that repeatedly broke Dar Beida's momentum.
• Rachid Belkacem (CRB Dar Beida): The hosts' most reliable scorer, carrying the offense through long stretches and keeping his team within touching distance into the fourth quarter.
• Nabil Terki (CRB Dar Beida): Energetic and physical inside, but foul trouble limited his minutes at the worst possible time.

What It Means in the Standings

Road wins are currency in the Algeria Super Division, and this result strengthens CS Tlemcen's position in the upper half of the table as the season progresses. For CRB Dar Beida, it is a missed opportunity on home hardwood — the kind of defeat that can sting later when tiebreakers and head-to-head records decide playoff seeding.

The head-to-head now favors Tlemcen, and should the two sides finish level on points, that advantage could prove significant. Dar Beida will need to improve their three-point shooting and cut down on live-ball turnovers if they are to reverse the result in the return fixture.

Next Up

CRB Dar Beida will look to bounce back quickly, with a demanding run of fixtures ahe