Tambwe lifts DR Congo in surprising win over Senegal
DAKAR - The DR Congo have reasons to celebrate as they became the first team to beat Senegal in their own backyard, a significant feat for a country that is often described as nest of basketball talent.
DAKAR (Senegal) - February 26, 2022 has entered the history books as the day that two Top-4 teams in Africa came crashing down in Window 2 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers in Dakar.
After Tunisia - No.2 in Africa - saw their 14-game winning streak in Africa come to an end against African Qualifiers debutant South Sudan, No.4 Senegal - playing hosts in this tournament - were stunned by DR Congo 62-57.
DR Congo's Rodrigue Tambwe grabbed the man-of-the-game accolade while the Senegalese defense struggled to find answers to the 26-year-old's shooting prowess.
Tambwe led a trio of Congolese - which included Jordan Sakho and Henry Pwono - who combined for 38 DR Congo's points to improve their African Qualifiers mark to 2-0 while Senegal dropped to 1-1.
Turning point: The Congolese stepped on the floor with a sense or urgency, leading all but 20 seconds of the game. And although Moustapha Diop's three-pointer tied the contest at 57-all with 1:23 minute on the shot clock, Tambwe and his team used an 5-0 run to close the game out
Game hero(es): Rodrigue Tambwe was in fine form, making all his five Field-Goal attempts, including three three-pointers to finish with 13 points.
Rodrigue Tambwe
The man who contributed just three points in Friday's 66-56 win against Kenya became the key factor for the DR Congo in one of his country's most famous wins in recent times.
Stats don't lie: With Senegal starters struggling to score, Head Coach Mamadou Gueye had to find answers in his bench, which produced 21 points for the hosts.
Only two Senegal players - Mbaye Ndiaye and Bouba Toure - scored in double figures as the duo combined for 22 points.
Another factor that has turned out costly for Senegal was certainly the 11-point game that they allowed in the second quarter, a moment that boosted the Congolese's belief.
Bottom line: It wasn't certainly the outcome that the many Senegalese fans that flocked into the Dakar Arena hope for, but the DR Congo's triumph came to remind everyone that the five tickets for African teams for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 could be anyone's.
The DR Congo have reasons to celebrate as they became the first team to beat Senegal in their own backyard, a significant feat for a country that is often described as a nest of basketball talent.
Some may argue that this wasn't Senegal's best squad, but let's not forget that eight of the players in Dakar helped Senegal clinch the Third-Place at 2021 AfroBasket last September.
What they said: "We were dominated from the start of the game until the end. Our players were slow and didn't execute the sort of pace that Senegalese basketball was accustomed to. Our defense wasn't on top." - Mamadou Gueye - Senegal Associate Head Coach.
"Credit to coach because he gave me the confidence that I needed. Yesterday I wasn't as aggressive because it was our first game. Today, our game started while were still in the hotel; We talked to each other and we were ready to play today's game. We didn't mind the [home] crowd, the Senegalese players dunking. We just came here to play basketball. Prior to the game, coach said to us to have fun [during the game] ." - Rodrigue Tambwe.
"I am really proud of my players because they followed our game plan. They [Senegal] tied the game [57-57] at some point, but we responded with a very difficult shot. For me, that was the key moment of the game." - Thomas Drouot - DR Congo Head Coach.
FIBA