Mali halts South Sudan’s historic run in the Women Afrobasket, sets up final showdown with Nigeria

Mali Halts South Sudan’s Historic Run in the Women Afrobasket, Setting Up Final Showdown with Nigeria

It was their second meeting in this edition after their first meeting in the group stages, where the West Africans won by just two points against the debutants, with the game ending 55-53.

The semifinal fixture was far from the group phase final outcome as the Bright Starlets of South Sudan struggled to cope with the pace, physicality and finishing of the Malians in their debut semis as Mali got off to a brilliant start to take the first quarter 29-8. Mali have gone on to appear very formidable since their group stage opener against the same opponents and have distributed the ball well, averaging 21.7 assists per game, managed a higher field-goal percentage of 41.3 % and have averaged 72 points per game before the semifinal clash.

More scoring baskets were seen pouring in the second quarter as Mali ran out 21-11 winners to close out the first half  50-19.

South Sudan would have been hoping for a strong third quarter and nearly closed the gap with a promising run. However, Coach Alberto's Malian side remained in complete control, rallying to win the quarter 20-17 and extinguish any hopes of a fightback by the Bright Starlets, who had relied on strong second-half performances throughout their fairy-tale run to this stage.

The lead during the game never changed as Mali led all through from start to finish, during which they went on an 18-0 surge, which allowed them to lead by as much as 37 points during the game. Of the 25 attempts made from the three-point range, only eight were converted, and they were 50% okay from the free throws, while South Sudan only managed to convert three from 18 three-point attempts and also struggled from the free throw line with a 33.3% score card.

For neutrals, it was an anti-climax to one of the most anticipated games of the competition as South Sudan managed to close out the final quarter with a 14-6 win but fell short overall.

The star-studded Malian side was led by Sira Thienou as the top performer with 14 points, two rebounds and 3 assists. She was supported by Djeneba N'Diaye, who registered 13 points, five rebounds and 1 assist, with Alima Dembele also bagging 11 points, five rebounds and one assist. South Sudan's point guard Delicia Washington was the top performer on the night, but 21 points, seven rebounds, and two assists weren't enough to steer South Sudan to their first-ever final.\

AfricaBasket caught up with WNBA player Sika Kone, who finished on the night with six points and a massive seven rebounds, admitted it was a tough game, but also said they were happy that they could exert their revenge against a side they struggled against in their opening group game.

"I mean, it was a tough game. The Sudan team is a really good team and we can really focus and stay together and just follow the game plan and yeah. I also think it was like we were together. If one person makes a mistake, we just like to keep playing and talk to each other and keep each other up. So, I think that's the reason. And for us, it was a revenge game and we just wanted to win."

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When asked to speculate about their final opponents, she said the defending champions are a strong side but they will keep their focus.

"The Nigeria team, they're a really tough team and a good team. So, we have to focus from the beginning to the end. We will watch their video and also like to stick with our game plan and yes,we can do it."

Mali’s Rokia Doumbia who finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds on the night also shared her thoughts with AfricaBasket after the game .

"Honestly, we're happy, we're happy to be here, this is a blessing. Many, many, many teams were here and it didn't make it to the final. We're blessed to be here, we're going to stay concentrated and we're going to stay focused for the next game.We're going to work on what we need to do and get out there in the final and give it the best we've got.”

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For South Sudan, Adut Balguk said that the better team won on the night and also mentioned how vital the support from the stands swung it in the way of their opponents.

"It's a lot to digest right now, but you've got to give it to Mali. They came out, they were hitting all their shots, they were very in sync tonight. And all you can do is shake hands at the end of the day, the better team won tonight.

You can definitely sense the energy in here, they had their home crowd here, but however, at the end of the day, that's all part of the game, you know? So, it helps them, you can feel it, you can feel the energy, the atmosphere of the Malian fans today but still, again, all part of the game.”

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“I think there were a lot of unforced errors. We were making mistakes on our own and I think we really shot ourselves in the foot with that one in the first quarter. Our team fights for sure. No matter how young they are, no matter who's in front of them, our girls fight but the experience of Mali definitely showed tonight. I mean, it's tough, but at the end of the day, they're not going to lay down.”

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Despite being debutants, she said that they are not done just yet in Abidjan as they look forward to their first international medal.

"At the end of the day, we still trusted in ourselves. I'm really proud of the girls and what we've accomplished here, but it's still not done. We have one more game. We still have a chance to fight for our first international medal and so that's all we can look forward to right now. We're still building one brick at a time.

We're happy to be here, and we clearly showed that we'll be back for sure. So it's not over yet. We're here to stay, South Sudan's men and women, so we deserve to be in an Afro basket and we're going to continue fighting for our spot every time."

In what has been a historic run for South Sudan, it is left to be seen if a podium finish is a possibility for the side when they file out against the wounded Lionesses of Senegal in a bronze medal matchup on Sunday, August 3.

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[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]