FIBA Africa 2013 First Round: Stats, Results, and Recap (August 21)
Day Two of the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship saw the defending champions surviving an upset bid by their regional rivals, a couple of beatdowns, and an Olympic qualifier doing just enough to hold off a team that is on the rise.
Tunisia 56, Morocco 54
Playing its first game of the tournament, Tunisia held off Morocco in the fourth quarter to escape with a hard-fought win. With the score tied at 16 after the first ten minutes, Tunisia went on a 21-point scoring binge in the second quarter to snatch an 8-point halftime lead. Morocco tried to slow down the tempo of the game after the halftime, but the North Africans were able to hold fast to their advantage. Chipping away slowly at the lead, Morocco was able to tie the game at 54 on a Reda Rhalimi basket. However, power forward Macram Ben Romdhane sank a jumper to take the win for Tunisia. Ben Romdhane led his team with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Rhalimi and point guard Mustapha Khalfi both scored 10 points in their Group B matchup.
Rwanda 80, Burkina Faso 61
In what turned out to be a game of spurts, Rwanda relied on torrid shooting to overwhelm Burkina Faso in Group B play. Tied at 17 after the first period, Burkina Faso sprung a 21-15 rally to take the halftime lead. Rwanda, however, outscored Burkina Faso 22-9 in the third quarter and extended the lead further in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 to their opponents' 15. Kabangu Kwami led Rwanda with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while guards Kenny Wilso and Brad Cameron added 22 and 19, respectively. Burkina Faso was spearheaded by Moussa Ouattara and Bayala Jean Paul, who each scored 10 points in the blowout loss, while Pooda Emmanuel, Bado Joris, and Sawadogo Mamadou almost made it to double figures. Rwanda sizzled with 57.8 per cent field goal shooting, while Burkina Faso was cooler, managing just 53.5 per cent.
Cameroon 74, Republic of Congo 43
Group D action saw Cameroon dominating the Republic of Congo on all fronts. Setting the pace early in the game, Cameroon had an 18-9 lead after the first quarter. However, the Congolese were able to pull within seven in the second, thanks to a slower pace. After the halftime break, the Cameroonians were simply unstoppable, exploding with a 21-8 third quarter that bloated their lead up to 20. The onslaught continued in the fourth quarter, where they went 20-8 en route to a blowout victory. Former UCLA Bruin Alfred Aboya knocked down 16 points to lead the Lions, while forward Gaston Essengue helped out with 14 points and 9 boards. Forward Bertrand Boukinda had 12 points in a losing effort for Congo, while Romaric Kondzy had 6 points and 10 rebounds.
Nigeria 74, Mali 59
In the other Group D game on Wednesday, Nigeria showed signs of rust in the early goings before shaking off Mali in the second half. The Malians, playing with confidence, took a 7-2 lead in the first quarter before tapering off, 18-14. Nigeria started the second quarter on an 8-0 spree to take a 31-27 halftime lead. However, Mali did not allow the surprise 2012 Olympic qualifiers to run up the score in the third quarter, pulling within one, 46-47, on a Namory Boundy three-pointer going into the final period. Nigeria opened the final quarter with a 14-0 blast and maintained a 15-point lead to close out the game. Former LA Clipper Ike Diogu paced Nigeria with 19 points and 7 boards, while Al-Farouq Aminu of the New Orleans Pelicans hit 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Mali was led by Boundy, who scored 21 points in what could be a preview of what they could do in future tournaments.