PRETORIA (South Africa) - Twelve games into the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2024, and only three of the twelve teams remain undefeated.
Saturday's action at University of Pretoria was arguably the most competitive one since the biennial event started four days ago.
What happened at U18 AfroBasket on September 7 at University of Pretoria? Find the answers below.
Ezekiel and Sulaimon steal the show for the J'Tigers
Six-time U18 AfroBasket champions Nigeria had to lift themselves from a 10-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to clinch a 70-65 win against Angola in one of the most exciting games of the day.
Nigerian duo Isaac Ezekiel (21 points, six rebounds) and team captain Azeez Sulaimon (20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and ten steals) put Nigeria on victory in the Group B battle.
For Angola, Mateus Abraem led Angola with 14 points, while team captain Aginaldo Neto contributed 12 points. David Youdela and Josema Cesar scored 11 points each.
Four-time U18 AfroBasket champions Angola came into the battle with a victory over Uganda, while Nigeria lost to Egypt. So, the encounter carried weight in Group B at the University of Pretoria's Rembrandt Hall.
Nigeria dominated Angola in the paint, scoring 14 of their points in that area - the West Africans also profited off their opponent's sloppiness in possession, scoring 13 points from turnovers.
Mercurial point guard Sulaimon's nine points helped Nigeria close out the first half 32-24 while Angola's seasoned floor general Neto led his country with six points.
Both teams traded points in the final minutes - an Abraem two-pointer and a Youdela three giving Angola a 49-42 lead, but five points from Azeez, which included a buzzer-beater three, closed the game to two from Nigeria.
A Neto triple kicked off a 10-point run for Angola for a 57-47 lead, but Nigeria would regain the initiative with a 14-point scoring run with two three-pointers from Ezekieal.
Nigeria led 67-53 and never looked back. With the win, they are still in with a shot at the next round.
Senegal's bench does the job to beat Côte d'Ivoire
In another exciting duel, Senegal had to leave it in the final minute of the fourth quarter to get their first win 69-63 against Cote d'Ivoire.
Senegalese big man Ousseynou Sambe carried his team on his back with his double-double (25 points and 12 rebounds).
With three minutes remaining in the hotly contested clash, Sambe scored a crucial bucket that tied the game 58-58 in the fourth quarter.
Senegal floor general Tidiane D'Almeida's three and Cheick Biteye's bucket helped Senegal pull away only slightly (63-61), but Cote d'Ivoire refused to go away as Caleb Ourigou's put-back dunk tied the game.
It took Biteye's four points, one bucket from a fastbreak, to finally give Senegal the breathing room they needed and get a much-needed win.
Mali survive brave Cameroon
Mali fought hard for their victory over a plucky Cameroon in the final game of Saturday night.
Led by Sekou Bagayoko's 22 points, Mali got their second win in Group A. Bagayoko's teammate Youssouf Traore scored 12 points and had a monster night on the boards with 20 rebounds.
Cameroon's Gregory Kemet led his country with 18 points.
Cameroon pulled themselves from an 11-point hole (27-16). A Herman Bel three-pointer and buckets from Amadou Seini and Gregory Kemet reduced the deficit (27-24).
The Central African nation would seize the lead again after being down by five (29-24). A Bel bucket cut Mali's lead to three, while a Seini dunk and a Gregory Kemet triple saw Cameroon finish the second quarter 31-30 up.
Mali, twice champions of the competition, came alive in the fourth quarter with five minutes left. Bagayoko gave the West Africans the lead (51-50), while Traore's free throws extended Mali's lead.
The victory was on the horizon for Mali. A Mamadou Diarra drive to the hoop and two more free throws from Traore opened a five-point gap (57-52). Mali's experience at this level showed, but Cameroon will be proud of the heart they showed.
Egypt reign supreme
Egypt stormed past Uganda 73-50 to post a 2-0 record in Group B. Omar Aly's 15 points, Ali Assran's 11 points, and 10 points from Mohamed Shahin contributed to the North Africans getting a perfect record in the tournament.
Uganda also had three players score double-digits. Brighton Galiwango (11), Musiime Kagaba (11) and Mukisa Mubiru Nkugwa tried to help their nation's cause, but their second-half struggles came to the fore, as in the opening encounter against Angola.
Egypt were jittery early on in the game after going 2-0 down - Amhed El Gahri subbed out his starting five. The new five brought in the energy Egypt needed, scoring 14 points, with point guard Shahin leading the team with eight points, which included two three-pointers.
The Young Pharaohs raced to a 15-11 lead at the end of the quarter. In the remaining three-quarters, the Egyptians were dominant, as the East Africans had no answers.
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