Final Preview: Will Senegal or Cameroon take the OQT spot in Lagos?

LAGOS (Nigeria) - The prize of a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 ticket is on offer when Senegal and Cameroon compete in the Final of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Nigeria.

Here's your guide of everything you need to know about a winner-takes-all matchup in Lagos between two teams yet to lose and who each racked up big Semi-Final victories. 

Senegal vs Cameroon

Fabien Ateba is seen here in action against Senegal's Youssou Ndiaye 

Cameroon and Senegal reached the title game with perfect 3-0 records. A thorough look into their respective campaigns in Lagos so far suggests that they share more similarities than differences, making this is a must-watch encounter.

Key Matchups

Jeremiah Hill and Brancou Badio sit among the most impactful players of the tournament. The two point guards have led their teams to positions that keep Cameroonians and Senegalese dreaming of a possible place at Paris 2024.

The last time Hill and Badio faced each other  in Alexandria, Egypt, on February 26, 2023, Senegal prevailed 89-63

Hill has averaged 20.7 points per game - three points more than Badio. The Cameroonian guard currently leads all players with a tournament-high 7.7 assists per game while Badio dished out 5.3 dimes in each of his first three games. 

X-Factor

The team that better protects its perimeter line might come out on top on Sunday. After all, Cameroon and Senegal have both reached the Final after punishing their opponents with the highest efficiency from three-point range in the tournament.

 Fabien Ateba was 7 for 10 from beyond the arc to finish with 27 points against Guinea

Senegal made 17 three-point shots to establish a tournament high for most threes made in a single game. Cameroon, on the other hand, finished with 15 three-pointers made on two occasions en-route to the Final. 

Stats Don't Lie

There's no question as to how Cameroon and Senegal reached this far in the competition. Cameroon are top of the tournament in points scored per game with 91.3, while Senegal comes second with 89.0 point per game. 

Similarities aside, Senegal lead the tournament with 43.7 rebounds per game, compared to Cameroon's 37.7.  But, this highly-anticipated encounter might be decided by the small details. Perhaps the team that handles the ball better might come out on top.

Did You Know:

Senegal hold a 3-0 head-to-head advantage against Cameroon dating back to the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket where they dispatched Cameroon 98-65. During the 2023 World Cup African Qualifiers, Senegal recorded two more wins over Cameroon 89-63 and 90-71.

FIBA