Reigning champions Mali see off pugnacious Angola in heated duel

Reigning champions Mali see off pugnacious Angola in heated duel

The duel between Mali and Angola has always been a special game in youth tournaments. This year’s matchup did not escape the rule. Coming straight from the airport, the Angolans looked a bit tired.

But they put up quite a show against reigning champions Mali, who had to dig deep to clinch the win.

When, at the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard showed 12-12, the fans in the stands knew they were in for their money. And this situation kept going on in the second quarter, where Mali scored 10 points and Angola finishing just one point shy.

Midway through the second quarter, Mali had the upper hand, leading 21-16. But a tremendous effort from Angola saw them come within one point by half-time (22-21).

Back from the locker room, Mali kept going, though Angola did not leave them with much room to maneuver. While coach Diakite Sory’s players cruised to a 36-27 advantage midway through the third quarter, Angola never put their arms down. They managed to remain within reach (38-35).

It took Mali all they had of skills, talent and experience to finish the job. Every time they seemed to have the upper hand, Angola sprung into action and came again within reach, but they couldn’t come up with a plan to finally take advantage of the situation.

With two minutes left, the scoreboard indicated a four-point advantage for Mali (47-43). Two more layups from Massaran Kone and Maimouna Traore settled the score for the defending champions, who would claim a 51-43 win.

Angola can regret losing, as they dominated almost every aspect of the game. Scoring more from the bench (17-11), they also led in points from inside the paint (34-20) and points from the bench (17-11).

Meanwhile, Angola's Luisa Amaral led led the scorers with 16 points, while Oummou Koumare was Mali’s top scorer with 14 points.

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[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]