2 months ago
12 ARTICLE AD
After losing 70-57 to Egypt in their Group B opening game, Nigeria are back in contention at the 2024 FIBA U-18 AfroBasket Championships in Pretoria, South Africa, after defeating Angola 70-65 in their second game at the University of Pretoria on Saturday night and are still in with a shot at the next round, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The six-time champions Nigeria had to lift themselves from a 10-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to clinch the win in one of the most exciting games of the day, arguably the most competitive one since the biennial event started four days ago.
Nigerian duo Isaac Ezekiel (21 points, six rebounds) and team captain Azeez Sulaimon (20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and ten steals) put Nigeria on victory in the Group B battle.
Mateus Abraem led Angola with 14 points, while team captain Aginaldo Neto contributed 12 points. David Youdela and Josema Cesar scored 11 points each.
The South Africans came into the battle with a victory over Uganda, while Nigeria lost to Egypt. So, the encounter carried weight in Group B at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall.
Nigeria dominated Angola in the paint, scoring 14 of their points in that area; the West Africans also profited off their opponent’s sloppiness in possession, scoring 13 points from turnovers.
Mercurial point guard Sulaimon’s nine points helped Nigeria close out the first half 32-24, while Angola’s seasoned floor general Neto led his country with six points.
Both teams traded points in the final minutes—an Abraem two-pointer and a Youdela three, giving Angola a 49-42 lead—but five points from Azeez, which included a buzzer-beater three, closed the game to two from Nigeria.
A Neto triple kicked off a 10-point run for Angola for a 57-47 lead, but Nigeria would regain the initiative with a 14-point scoring run with two three-pointers from Ezekiel.
The group’s second game of the day saw Egypt storm past Uganda 73-50 to post a 2-0 record in Group B. Omar Aly’s 15 points, Ali Assran’s 11 points, and 10 points from Mohamed Shahin contributed to the North Africans getting a perfect record in the tournament.
Nigeria, who are currently second on the log behind Egypt, will on Tuesday, September 10, face Uganda for their third game, starting at 11:30 at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall.
Nigeria hold the record for most wins in the championships, having clinched 7 gold and 3 silver. Egypt are second with 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, while Angola are third with 4 gold, 7 silver, and 3 bronze medals.
