RABAT (Morocco) - DR Congo recorded their fourth win in as many games to book their place at the 2025 AfroBasket.
The Congolese outlasted Mali 65-59 to remain perfect in the AfroBasket Qualifiers with two games to play in Group A in Rabat, Morocco.
Rolly Fula shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc to lead the Congolese with a team-high 16 points, Jordan Sakho had a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Michel Perrin's men remained atop Group A with a perfect 4-0 record.
Mali's Aliou Diarra recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 22 points and 14 rebounds, but the Malians fell to 1-3 in the group.
TURNING POINT: Nothing went right for Mali in the opening five minutes. Turning the ball over three times, missing shots and fouling excessively, it was a poor start to the game for the Malians.
The DR Congo then went on a scoring spree, taking a 9-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Coach Alhadji Dicko had seen enough and replaced N'faly Kanoute and Mahamane Coulibaly with veterans Ibrahim Djambo and Cartier Diarra, and their game was never the same again.
Mali went on a 12-0 scoring run in the second quarter to take a 37-26 lead into the break.
After trailing for much of the second half, DR Congo seized the opportunity when Garmine Kieli drained a three-pointer to put them 55-52 ahead before Christian Lutete added to Mali's misery with another three to make it 58-52 with less than a minute to play.
Fula hit another three with 55 seconds left and the game was technically over (61-52). Those 3 three-pointers changed the course of the game.
HERO: There wasn't a single player who changed the game for DR Congo, it was a victory of tenacity, teamwork and a never-say-die attitude.
STATS DON'T LIE: Shooting 2-for-26 from behind the three-point line didn't help Mali's cause, and adding just two more assists in the final quarter to finish with 9 didn't help Mali's chances on the offensive end.
BOTTOM LINE: Mali resumed their qualifying campaign in the same way they ended the first round - with a win.
And that victory not only boosted their chances of qualifying for the finals, but also showed a more competitive Mali side capable of inflicting more damage along the way.
WHAT THEY SAID: "There was nothing specific that determined the outcome of this game. They won it in small details." - Mali forward, Ibrahim Djambo.
FIBA