Nigeria wins Afrobasket 2015, Rio Bound

Nigeria wins Afrobasket 2015 after defeating Angola 74-65 in the Finals. As the African champions, Nigeria qualifies for the 2016 Olympic Games which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is Nigeria’s first continental championship. Angola were the favorites to claim Afrobasket, having already claimed 12 titles, missing out only in 2012. The remainder top four teams of the tournament, which are Angola, Tunisia, and Senegal; can still book their seats to the Olympics as they are now qualified to play in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Nigeria played a solid game all throughout. They were in full control and even amassed a lead as large as 19 points. Chamberlain Oguchi paced Nigeria with a game-high 19 points. Oguchi’s impressive performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award. Oleseni Lawal was a dominant force in the paint for the green shirts and Angola could not compete with their opponent’s advantage in rebounding. Lawal finished the game with 12 points.

Carlos Morais led the Angola squad with 15 points. His teammate, Yannick Moreira chipped in 13 points of his own.