In a must win game where both teams came in with a 1-0 record, it was imperative that they get a win to secure a spot in the knockout stage. ASC Ville de Dakar secured a 62-46 victory against CNSS and with it, a ticket to the knockout stage.
Last Updated on
December 9, 2025
The clash got off to a quick start when CNSS won the jump ball, but Dakar quickly ran off on the fast break and scored a layup, courtesy of Mainouna Diarra. CNSS did not take ASVD's sudden burst lying down and replied in the very next possession with a jump shot by Neomie Ayenga.
However, that momentum must quickly shut down when Aliyah Matharu scored a three-pointer for Dakar. Maimouna Diarra proved a handful, as she could not be stopped and drew a foul that sent her to the free-throw line, where she converted both. It was Aminata Ndong's three-pointer that extended the lead for Dakar.
CNSS then went on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit, but Dakar had an answer to every attack. Julie Dacosta dropped a three-pointer to give Dakar a 22-11 lead, but her teammates' late 4-0 run secured them a 26-12 lead at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter got off to a really slow start with CNSS going on a quick 3-0 run. Dakar only scored their first point after three minutes. Amilata Coulibaly scored six straight points for Dakar, extending their lead to 34-18. Shortly after this, CNSS went on a 9-0 run, during which Ketia Mbelu made 7 of 8 free throws and cut the lead to 7 at 34-27 at halftime. Though ahead, the 2024 Dakar finalists knew they had a lot of work to do to maintain this lead.
The third quarter could not have started better for Dakar, as they opened it with an 18-0 run. The Senegal-based club suffocated CNSS on defence, all the while being clinical on offence. As in the first half of the clash, Dakar continued to force CNSS into turnovers and foul shots, leading to easy fast-break layups and open shots. Despite the CNSS-issued timeouts, the surge of the Dakar Armada could not be denied.
After an ugly seven-minute scoring drought, CNSS opened their account with a three-pointer by Saran Berthé. This was a much-needed shot that broke the Senegalese side's confidence. CNSS then closed the quarter off with a fast break layup from Lalla Traoré. They had a stagnant quarter and were now trailing 52-32 at the end of this third quarter. They knew they had their work cut out for them if there was any chance of breaking the finalists.
In the final quarter, Dakar knew that CNSS would bring the game to them, and they just needed to control the tempo. However, CNSS opened the quarter with a three-pointer by Saran Berthé and then by Djelika Tounkara. They then added a free throw by Gracia Nguz. CNSS put together this run, all the while stopping Dakar from scoring for the first six minutes of the quarter, a valiant effort from a relentless team with their backs against the wall.
When playing defence this intensely, players are bound to pick up fouls, and that is precisely what happened to the DR Congo-based club, resulting in Mame Fall and Aminata Ndong scoring a pair each from the stripe. Again, it was Saran Berthé who broke this run with yet another three-pointer for CNSS and coach Moustapha Gaye was forced to call a timeout.
The scoring lid was closed for both teams for a short while, and this was fine for Dakar, who had the lead. In a last-ditch effort by CNSS, Ketia Mbelu scored a fast-break layup to cut the lead back to 16 points. Despite this spirited fight back from CNSS, ASC Ville de Dakar inflicted irreparable damage and cruised to a 62-44 victory.
Mame Fall led the game in scoring and rebounding with a 14-point and 13-rebound double-double. Her teammate Aliyah Matharu had the following to say about their convincing victory:
I feel like we came off kind of slow and the team [CNSS] we played against was unpredictable. You know, it's always hard to guard teams and players that are unpredictable. Other than that, we did a good job.
When asked about what made them start slowly, she said:
I think it was the confusion on defense. A lot of the times, we do a specific thing on ball screens but we changed it this time just because of the team we were playing against but we made the adjustments.
ASC Ville de Dakar have now booked their spot in the quarter finals while CNSS still have a game to play that will determine the outcome of their campaign.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
