Angola, South Sudan, and Cape Verde all bounced back from their opening game defeats to record respective wins in their second group games at the ongoing FIBA World Cup.
Angola got Africa’s first victory of the tournament after all five contingents lost their opening games. The Central Africans defeated co-hosts the Philippines 80-70 at the Manila Araneta Coliseum in Quezon.
The eleven-time African champions overturned a poor first quarter in which they were down by seven points and never looked back all through the game as they proved too much for the home side.
Gerson Goncalves led Angola with 17 points and six rebounds; Gerson Domingos continued to impress with 15 points and seven assists; and Atlanta Hawks forward Bruno Fernando added 14 points and seven rebounds for Angola, which ended with five players in double figures.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson led the Philippines with 21 points and seven assists, while Ariel John Edu supplied them with nine points and six rebounds in their second defeat in Group A.
Came back to silence the homecourt ????#FIBAWC x #WinForAngola ????????
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ???? (@FIBAWC) August 27, 2023
Africa’s youngest country, South Sudan, sealed a historic first victory at the World Cup with a huge 89-69 win against China in Group B of the tournament.
The Bright Stars bounced back from their painful opening game overtime loss to Puerto Rico as they finished the game with five players in double figures, with Carlik Jones leading the bunch with 21 points and six assists.
Kuany Ngor Kuany added 16 points, while Nuni Omot also poured in 14 points to keep South Sudan’s hopes of qualifying alive.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Kyle Anderson led all scorers with 22 points and five rebounds, but it was not enough as China fell to their second defeat in the group.
HISTORY ????
South Sudan get their first World Cup victory with a dominant win over China ????#FIBAWC x #WinForSouthSudan
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ???? (@FIBAWC) August 28, 2023
Cape Verde, on the other hand, endured stiffer opposition in Venezuela, but the West Africans, who let go of their lead in a terrible second quarter, held on in the second half for a historic first win in their debut.
They overcame the South Americans 81-75 at the Okinawa Arena in Japan, thanks to Betinho Gomes (22 points) and Will Tavares’ (20 points) combined 42-point blockbuster game.
Smallest nation ever in World Cup, Cape Verde, earn historic first win! ????#FIBAWC x #WinForCaboVerde ????????
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ???? (@FIBAWC) August 28, 2023
Tavares’ late lay-up with less than a minute to go in the game helped them take a two-point lead with the score at 77-75, and they never looked back from there. Ivan Almeida was also not left out of the action, as the 34-year-old poured in 18 points and grabbed six boards.
David Cubillan came off the bench to spark Venezuela with a team-high 15 points, while Garly Sojo added 13 points and 7 rebounds for the Venezuelans, who suffered their second defeat of the tournament.
With a shot in the second round up for grabs, Angola will battle the high-flying Dominican Republic in their final group game; South Sudan will face a tough test from Serbia; and Cape Verde will lock horns against Georgia.
