AfroBasket 2013: Groups A and C conclude prelims

AfroBasket 2013 Groups A and C concluded their preliminary round on Saturday, setting up half of the brackets for the Eight Final Round that will tip off on Monday after Groups B and D finalize their standings with Sunday’s match-ups.

In Group A host club Cote d’Ivoire finished the prelim round with a 3-0 record after defeating Egypt 69:62, who finished 0-3 and in fourth place. Senegal finished second at 2-1 with a 63:57 win over Algeria, who wrapped up the three-game series at 1-2 and in the third spot.

Group C’s preliminaries end with Angola in to top spot with a 3-0 record with an 85:80 win over fourth place Central African Republic (0-3). Cape Verde’s 65:53 win over Mozambique gives CV the Num 2 spot with a 2-1 record while Mozambique finishes at 1-2 and third.

Group A
Cote d’Ivoire – Egypt, 69:62
The hosts grabbed the top spot of Group A and set up their Eight Final Round with a 69:62 win over Egypt. Cote d’Ivoire will face the fourth place team of Group B (Burkina Faso), while Egypt will square off against the top club in Group B (most likely Tunisia).

Cote d’Ivoire was led by Mamadou Lamizana with 18 points and Kinidinnin Konate’s 11 points. Assem Marei paced Egypt’s efforts with a game-high 25, raising his tournament average to 18.3 ppg.

The clubs retired to their dressing rooms at the half with the guests trailing 33:31. In the third Cote d’Ivoire added six to their advantage, taking a 56:48 lead into the final frame. Egypt scored five unanswered mid-way through the last 10 to cut the gap to seven, but that’s as close as they would get even scoring the final four points of the contest.

Senegal – Algeria, 62:57
The Num 2 spot of Group A went to Senegal after they defeated Algeria 62:57 behind 14 points from Maleye Ndoye and 13 from Mouhammad Faye.

Algeria dropped to 1-2 and in the third spot, with Mehdi Cheriet dropping in 14 points and 9 rebounds, and Mohamed Harat tallying 14 for the third straight game.

Senegal will play the Num 3 team from Group B and Algeria will meet the Num 2 club from Group B.

Algeria took the early lead, getting up 18:10 after the first quarter, but Senegal countered with a 20:10 second quarter to take a 30:28 lead into the break. Cheriet got two in the paint at the buzzer to give Algeria the two-point deficit.

Senegal continued rolling in the third, outscoring their opponents 22:12, to close out the third 10 up 52:40. Algeria pulled to within two, 57:55, with just over a minute to play. Senegal outscored them 5:2 over the last 30 seconds for a 62:57 victory.

Group C
Angola – Central African Republic, 85:80
Angola remained unbeaten in Group C with an 85:80 win over winless CAF. The win matches Angola up with the Num 4 team in Group D in the Eight Final Round and CAF will play the Num 1 team in Group D.

Carlos Morais and Reggie Moore dropped in 18 each for Angola, and CAF got 15 each from Max Kouguere and William Kossangue.

Angola got all the advantage they would need in the first quarter, outscoring CAF by eight, 20:12. In the second and third frames the clubs played evenly with Angola winning each by slim margins, 23:22, and 24:22. CAF got the first 15 points of the fourth quarter to go up four 71:67. Angola countered with 12 of their own to get up eight, 79:71, with a minute to play. Kossangue connected on a triple with five seconds to play to pull CAF to within five, 85:80.

Cape Verde – Mozambique, 65:53
Cape Verde nailed down the Num 3 spot in Group C with a 65:53 win over Mozambique. With the victory Cape Verde will meet the Num 3 club out of Group D and Mozambique will square off against the Num 2 team in Group D.

Cape Verde took the first two quarters, to build a 35:27 margin at the break. Mozambique grabbed three back in the third to head into the final quarter with the advantage of 46:41 in Cape Verde’s favor.

The final quarter saw CV add seven to their margin, but Mozambique did get to within two, 52:50. To close out the rest of the quarter though, Cape Verde would out score Mozambique 13:3.

Dimitry Joseph Akanda Coronel was game-high with for Cape Verpe with 18 points. He was followed by Brian Eric Rudolph, Jr. Mozambique was led by Pio da Silva Mators with 12.