RABAT (Morocco) - Rwanda left the Salle IBN Yassine in Rabat with a lot of questions and a lot of frustration after squandering a nine-point lead to fall to a more combative Cameroon side.
Rwanda fell to Cameroon 86-83
Had Rwanda beaten Cameroon on Saturday, they would have been celebrating qualification for AfroBasket 2025, but a combination of errors prevented the East Africans from winning their first game in Rabat.
Rwanda shot an impressive 15-for-29 from three-point range in the first three quarters, but Cameroon's adjustment in the final ten minutes left Cheikh Sarr's side cold, hitting just one of their nine long-range attempts.
The Rwandan fans, mostly local residents, turned out in force to sing and cheer on their heroes, but they left the Salle IBN Yassine frustrated.
The 86-83 loss to Cameroon was Rwanda's fourth in five games in the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers.
While Cameroon improved their record to 4-1, Rwanda are 1-4 with the last game of Group C scheduled for Sunday, February 23.
TURNING POINT: Rwanda led by eight points (68-60) in the third quarter and looked to be in control of their destiny.
But when Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza was called for an unsportsmanlike foul and Jeremiah Hill made four free throws to keep the ball in Cameroon's possession, it gave them all the encouragement they needed.
Rwanda briefly took a two-point lead (83-81) after a lay-up by Ntore Habimana, but Williams Narace and Hill combined for five points in the final minutes to break the hearts of the Rwandans.
HERO: Jeremiah Hill was joined by Paul Eboua for a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds as Cameroon improved to 4-1 ahead of Sunday's eagerly-awaited clash with Group C leaders Senegal.
STATS DON'T LIE: One lesson learned from Rwanda's fourth defeat of the tournament is that fouling nine times in the final quarter can be extremely costly, especially against a reasonably good free-throw shooting team like Cameroon.
BOTTOM LINE: Although Cameroon only led for 14:43 minutes, they stepped up when it mattered most. They showed some composure and, as Paul Eboua later admitted, "the team is ready to take on Senegal on Sunday" in one of the most eagerly-awaited games in Group C.
WHAT THEY SAID: ""It was a difficult game because we allowed them to score a lot of points, especially because their game plan was well organised at times. It was difficult for us because they shot well." - Cameroon forward, Paul Eboua.
"That was the turning point of the game. Every time we tried to push, they were able to respond, but on that particular play, when he drove to the basket and was fouled - hit in the face - it really changed the complexity of the game because to hit four free throws and get the ball back, that's a big turnaround." - Cameroon head coach, Alfred Aboya.
FIBA