Late Free Throws Lift South Sudan Past Nigeria in Tunis Nail-Biter

South Sudan needed every last possession to hold off a resilient Nigeria side and they managed to pull off an 82-79 win on Friday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in a second round clash at the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.

It looked comfortable early as the Sudanese jumped out to a double-digit cushion in the first quarter, but Nigeria clawed back and even nosed ahead briefly to open the third quarter. From there, neither team could shake the other loose, and the game came down to who handled the pressure better in the final minutes and that team was South Sudan as the Bright Stars found just enough on both ends when it mattered.

Marial Shayok was the story of the night for the winners as he poured in 19 points on the back of 6 rebounds and 4 assists and 3 steals, but the number that will stick with anyone who watched is 90. Shayok's 90 seconds blitz early in the third quarter when he personally scored 8 points in a stretch nearly ended the contest as it was the kind of individual burst that changes a game's psychology, and that helped South Sudan rode that momentum the rest of the way. He bagged a good support from Carlik Jones, who ran the show with 11 points, a massive 12 assists and 8 rebounds in just under 33 minutes. And when the game got tight in the final minute, it was Nuni Omot who sealed it, calmly knocking down both free throws to seal the win, finishing with 13 points on the night, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.

For Nigeria, Josh Okogie gave everything he had as he proved to be the best player on the floor for his team, scoring 14 points to go with 8 rebounds and 2 assists, shooting an efficient 4-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line but it just wasn't enough to match the depth South Sudan brought.

South Sudan looked like the more settled team from the opening tip and despite going down 14-15 late in the frame, the Bright Stars ripped off a 9-0 run with Lok Wur being everywhere, chipping in a bucket, a free throw and a block to help seize control. By the time the horn sounded, South Sudan had built its biggest lead of the night, 30-19, and Nigeria who had struggled much in its opening game were already searching for answers.

And they did find some good answers in the following quarter as whatever South Sudan built in the first, Nigeria tore down in the second with the D'Tigers outscoring their opponents 27-13 in the quarter, clawing back point by point until the 11-point gap was gone entirely and by halftime, Nigeria had flipped the script completely, taking a 46-43 edge into the locker room.

After the break, Nigeria carried that momentum into the third, stretching its lead to five points for with just over nine minutes in but couldn't maintain it for long with Marial Shayok taking over, scoring 8 points in less than two minutes on the clock, a move which eventually turned the tide right back South Sudan's way. The Bright Stars closed the quarter on a 21-15 run of their own to reclaim the lead, 64-61 while setting up an exciting final quarter.

And the final quarter proved to be the most exciting as it came down to who blinked last. South Sudan had pushed ahead 70-67, only for Josh Okogie to drill a three and tie it at 70-70 with 7:03 remaining. Twenty-one seconds later, Wenyen Gabriel answered right back with a hook shot in the paint, and the Bright Stars never trailed again. Nigeria kept swinging in the quarter as the D'Tigers actually won the final two minutes of the encounter but it was too little, too late. Nuni Omot calmly knocked down both ends of a free-throw trip in the closing seconds as South Sudan matched Nigeria point for point down the stretch, 18-18, and the Bright Stars escaped with a 3-point victory.

South Sudan escaped with the nerve on the night and the free throws also contributed to the win. The victory keeps their qualifying campaign rolling in the World Cup Qualifiers while Nigeria's D'Tigers will need to regroup quickly as they look ahead to their next test against Cape Verde Islands in a must-win game.

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[Photography/Imagery : Courtesy of FIBA]

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