DAKAR (Senegal) - Senegal closed their first round of Group C of the AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers with a perfect 3-0 mark thanks to a hard-fought 87-83 win over Cameroon on Sunday at Dakar Arena.
Cameroon not only cancelled out Senegal's 18-point advantage but they also took a lead later in the fourth quarter before the hosts used a 4-0 scoring run in the last minute to close the game out.
Brancou Badiou - who else? - led the way for Senegal, finishing with a game-high 31 points. Karim Mane, the other Senegalese to score in double digits, added 12 points.
Three Cameroonians scored 16 points or more each, but they returned home with a 2-1 mark.
TURNING POINT: After 10 lead changes, and countless opportunities the outcome of the game for either way, Moustapha Diop's floater put Senegal in front 85-83 with 58 seconds left on the clock.
Cameroonian guard Jeremiah Hill, who finished with 18 points and 9 assists, saw his layup attempt blocked by Karim Mane, who, eventually, sealed Senegal's victory from the free-throw line.
HEROES: The way Senegal protected the rim says a lot about their determination to protect their home court. Five block shots and a 53-33 rebounding advantage told the story of Senegal's team effort.
STATS DON'T LIE: For the second game in a row, Senegal made 13 three-pointers - an AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers record -, but this game was so evenly-matched that Senegal and Cameroon finished with a similar free-throw percentage (72.7) and they shared the same amount of assists (18).
WHAT THEY SAID: "Hats off Senegal. They played an unbelievable game. They are a well-coached team. We fought, but it came down to the last minute.We look forward to return window in February." - Cameroon head coach Alfred Aboya.
"I have been around basketball for a long time, and I have seen big leads going in two minutes. But I am proud of my team because they never gave up." - Senegal head coach DeSagana Diop.
FIBA