South Sudan's national team defeated Great Britain 84-81 at the CopperBox Arena, in the heart of East London, in a thrilling pre-Olympic friendly. Key performances from Marial Shayok and Carlik Jones secured the win in the run-up to the Summer Olympic games in Paris.
Last Updated on
July 19, 2024
Ayo Biyibi
Staff Writer
In a surreal twist of fate, 12 years after leading Great Britain into the 2012 London Olympics, South Sudan-born and South London-raised former NBA All-Star Luol Deng returned to the CopperBox Arena, this time as President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation. With him, he brought the rising South Sudan men's national team for a friendly game against Great Britain as part of their warm-up for the Summer Olympics in Paris.
The two teams are currently in different stages of development. Great Britain, under Head Coach Marc Steutel, is in a rebuilding phase and missing key players from the troubled London Lions, including Josh Sharma, Luke Nelson, Gabriel Olaseni, Tarik Phillip, and Mo Soluade. The starting lineup featured British Basketball League talents such as Josh Ward-Hibbert of the Newcastle Eagles, Jelani Watson-Gayle, Myles Hesson, Carl Wheatle, and Dan Akin.
South Sudan, under Head Coach Royal Ivey, showcased their Euroleague-bound superstars Carlik Jones (Partizan BC) and Wenyen Gabriel (Maccabi Tel Aviv) alongside 2023 Basketball Africa League Champion Nuni Omot, Australian's NBL star Bul Kuol, and former Fenerbahçe wing Marial Shayok.
The game started tough for the Olympic-bound South Sudan team, as they struggled physically against Team GB and missed several open three-point shots. Team GB took an early lead, going up 9-4 and extending it to 19-14. However, a driving layup and a three-pointer from Jackson Makoi helped South Sudan close the first quarter trailing by just two points, 21-19.
In the second quarter, South Sudan tied the game early (21-21) and continued to apply pressure, forcing Team GB into a timeout, with the British holding on to a slender 27-23. Despite a 10-point lead by Team GB following a coast-to-coast three-pointer from Watson-Gayle, South Sudan went on a 14-1 run to close the half leading 44-42. Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok led the charge, each recording 13 points by halftime.
In the third quarter, South Sudan extended its lead to 54-46 with a 10-4 run. Despite a timeout by Team GB that momentarily cut the lead, South Sudan pushed back, maintaining a 10-point advantage and ending the quarter ahead 69-60.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter. South Sudan extended their lead to 15 points with 6:46 left, but Team GB surged back to tie the game at 77-77 three and a half minutes later. Coach Ivey called a timeout to refocus his team. Key buckets from Shayok helped South Sudan regain the lead, which they held onto despite a final attempt by Great Britain to tie the game with a three-pointer. Shayok's disciplined defence blocked the shot, securing an 84-81 victory for South Sudan.
South Sudan shot an impressive 40% from beyond the arc (13/32), 91% from the free throw line (11/12), and dominated with 40 rebounds. Marial Shayok finished with 27 points, two blocks, and three assists. Bul Kuol added 15 points and three rebounds, while Carlik Jones contributed 13 points and eight assists. Jackson Makoi led the bench with 12 points.
Next, South Sudan will face Team USA and their roster of NBA stars on Saturday, July 20th, as they continue their preparations for the Olympic Games.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of the South Sudan Basketball Federation and GB Basketball]
