Quarter Finals: Cote d'Ivoire 84 - Senegal 78

TRIPOLI (Afrobasket 2009) - Cote d’Ivoire played the game of its live to edge out Senegal in the last quarter-final game decided at the Africa Union Hall in Tripoli to set up a semi-finals clash against Cameroon Friday.

The Ivories who booked a last minute quarter-final ticket in group-E of the Eight-Final-Round held its own against Boniface Ndong and the rest of the Senegalese team winning the first quarter by 24-14 points.

The Coach Rondoalo Dessarzin tutored Elephant also pocket the second quarter by 24-22 points to take a twelve points led into the break leading by 48-36 points.

Senegal tried to cut down the lead in the third quarter winning by 28-17 points to reduce the difference between them and the Cote d’Ivoire side but the never-say-die attitude of the Ivories’ who were determined to go all the way to clinch a place in the three countries that will fly the continent’s flag at the Turkey 2010 FIBA World Championship rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter which paid off as they ran away with a 19-14 points win over the Senegalese to end the game at 84-78 points.

Mohamed Kone lived up to expectation pouring in 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, Pape-Phillipe Amagou recorded 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Didier Tape also scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds while Mouloukou Diakate contributed 11 points and gave 6 assists to end the Senegalese ambition.

Cote d’Ivoire will now meet Cameroon who stopped Nigeria in the third quarter-final in the second semi-finals slated for 21.30 hours while defending champion, Angola will battle Tunisia in the first semi-finals starting at 19.00 hours.

Central Africa will take on Mali in the first classification game of position 5-8 at 14.00 hours while Nigeria will battle Senegal at 16.30 hours.

And in Benghazi Rwanda will take to the floor against Egypt in the race for position 9-10 at 16.30 hours and host Libya will battle morocco for position 11-12 at 19.00 hours.

FIBA Africa