LUANDA (Angola) – Senegal were made to sweat for their AfroBasket 78-65 quarterfinals victory over South Sudan at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda on Monday night.<\/p>\n
Senegal and South Sudan, the two tallest nations on the continent and in the tournament, gave fans a matchup for the ages.<\/p>\n
With a spot in the final eight at stake, fans expected the Lions of Teranga and the Bright Stars to give it their all.<\/p>\n
Instead, Senegal, backed by a small group of fans, grabbed the game by the scruff with stifling defense and fluid attacks in the first half.<\/p>\n
Team captain Brancou Badio’s game-high 31 points ensured Senegal’s title aspirations remained intact.<\/p>\n
Ibrahima Faye’s 12 points and eight rebounds and Jean Jacques Boissy’s 10 points and seven rebounds kept the Lions of Teranga on the offensive.<\/p>\n
South Sudan was led in scoring by Both Gach with 14 points. Captain Nuni Omot scored 13 points and Majok Deng scored 10.<\/p>\n
Neither team could find their rhythm early in the second quarter, managing seven points between them (four to Senegal and three to South Sudan). The West Africans were up 25-21 with 6:01 minutes played.<\/p>\n
TURNING POINT: Coach DeSagana Diop’s substitutions worked wonders for Senegal. <\/p>\n
Ibou Badji’s two-pointer started a 7-0 run for Senegal. Boissy sped down the court, assisting Ibrahima Faye with an alley-oop dunk. <\/p>\n
Coach Luol Deng called for a timeout, but it did little to stop Senegal’s momentum. <\/p>\n
Another slam dunk, this time from Moustapha Faye, and a Boissy free throw made it an 11-point game (32-21).<\/p>\n
Senegal raced to a 12-0 run, closing the quarter 46-25.<\/p>\n
HERO: Ibou Badji scored nine points and went to war in the paint for his country, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots.<\/p>\n
STATS DON’T LIE: South Sudan head coach Luol Deng later admitted that his team lost the game in the first half when they trailed by as many as 25 points.<\/p>\n
Kendale McCullum scored the opening baskets through two free throws for their only lead of the game, but Brancou Badio responded with a three-pointer to put Senegal in the lead. Senegal never trailed again.<\/p>\n
Fast break points were key for Senegal, who outscored South Sudan 32\u201319 in that category. The Senegalese team was aggressive in the paint, scoring 17 second-chance points compared to South Sudan’s 10.<\/p>\n
BOTTOM LINE: Senegal’s strong start set them up for victory, regardless of South Sudan’s efforts.<\/p>\n
As they struggled to find the smooth offense of earlier quarters, Senegal would have welcomed the end of the third quarter. <\/p>\n
Omot added eight points and McCallum added four. Meanwhile, Gach and Deng powered South Sudan to outscore Senegal 29-16 with eight and three points, respectively.<\/p>\n
The Bright Stars cut Senegal’s lead to eight points (62\u201354) going into the fourth quarter. However, the Lions regained the initiative and secured a 13-point victory.
\nThey can now rest and prepare for the West African derby against Nigeria.<\/p>\n
This loss marks the end of South Sudan’s 2025 AfroBasket journey.<\/p>\n
WHAT THEY SAID: “We lost the game in the first half. I thought the guys, we regrouped in the second half and, I wish we had played like that the whole game. It’s basketball, it happens. We hate to lose but we set a really good brand for who we are. All of us, players, staff, we are all disappointed because we hold high standards but I am very happy for African basketball because the players deserve. The game is getting better and the players are better. The more teams get better the more respect we’ll get as a whole.” – South Sudan head coach Luol Deng.<\/p>\n
“We just stayed poised the whole game. it’s a game of momentum, they had their run, but we kept our heads held high, focusing on playing defense.” – Senegal shooting guard Jean Jacques Boissy.<\/p>\n
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