Expdonaloaded Sports News; Afro basketball 2015: D’ Tigers draw Senegal

The search for the lone ticket at stake to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games got better for Nigeria as D’ Tigers cruised into the semi-finals after trouncing Gabon 88-64 yesterday in Rades, Tunisia but will now face another basketball power house Senegal on Saturday. Saturday’s semi-final game will again test the Will Voigt men when they face Senegal in a winner takes all encounter that will see the dominant side go to the final for the sole ticket of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
In Nigeria’s last group A game, D’ Tigers struggled against host Tunisia and could not find their bearing. Against Gabon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Michael Umeh and Michael Gbinije combined for 43 Nigeria points as Nigeria controlled most of the contest. A day after performing one of the biggest upsets in the tournament so far by eliminating Cape Verde, Gabon seemed powerless to oppose Nigeria’s determination to make the last four in the tournament. Aymar-Kabrel Boundou, Therence Mayimba and Stephan Lasme, the only Gabonese to score in double digits, combined for 45 points, but they were unable to avoid elimination. To reach the semi-final, Senegal left nothing to chance as she had a commanding win over Algeria in a game that ended 75-58. Angola proved too much for Egypt in Thursday’s AfroBasket 2015 Quarter-Finals as they defeated the North Africans 83-63 win in Rades, Tunisia. The eleven-time African champions head to the tournament Semi-Finals for the 17th time in a row, and will take on the winner of the Quarter-Finals between hosts Tunisia and Mali. Carlos Morais made 4 of his 10 three-point attempts to propel the Angolans with a game-high 19 points. Egypt’s Ehab Amin made 12 of his team-high 18 points from behind the arc, but the Angolans went to lead by as many as 20 points. Egypt managed to cut the deficit to seven points in the third quarter, but Angola’s suffocating defense proved too much for the Pharaohs. As a result of the loss, Egypt, who entered the game with a 4-0 mark, will not defend their silver medal accomplished a couple of years ago where they lost to Angola. With the win Angola clinched, at least, a place in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, an event destined for the teams that finish second, third and fourth. The winner of the tournament secures direct qualification for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Turning Point: Eduardo Mingas gave Angola a 10-9 lead with 3:53 minutes to close the first quarter, and the Angolans never trailed again. The reigning African champions, who led all but 3:18 minutes, went for break leading 43-29. With the exception of Amin, Egypt’s starters combined for 17 points, indicating how Angola disrupted Egypt’s intention to advance to the Semi-Finals for the second in a row. Angola’s head coach Moncho Lopez used a masterclass strategy of team rotation that never allowed Egypt to adjust defensively. The Bottom Line: Angola never considered a possibility of falling in the Quarter-Finals, and stepped up their game when they it most. They outplayed Egypt, suggesting they are ready to face whichever team comes their way. As much sacrifice as the Egypt put in, it wasn’t meant to beat the Angolans.