U16 AfroBasket Women: Cameroon Stuns Mali 55-53 to Secure Bronze Medal

Cameroon Stuns Mali 55-53 to Secure Bronze Medal

Cameroon jumped out quickly, storming ahead 8-3 thanks to hot shooting and relentless defense, before Mali battled back with back-to-back buckets from Aichata Keita and Yahe Salimata Leandra Bagayoko. Both teams struggled with execution down the stretch, but Shanice Mbaha’s late free throws tied it 13-13 after one.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter when Cameroon launched a 7-2 burst capped by Marie Samnick’s cool free throws. Mali attempted to respond, yet inefficiency plagued them, while Cameroon’s trips to the line gave them a slim but steady halftime advantage at 28-23.

After a decent second quarter performance, Cameroon saw their hard word unravel after halftime as Mali delivered a near-perfect third quarter, fueled by suffocating defense and improved shooting. Napily Issa Traoré, Coumba Guindo and Mariya Diawara led the charge, while Guindo’s threes energized the bench. Diawara’s and-one closed the frame, giving Mali a commanding 47-31 lead.

But basketball rarely reads the script, and the fourth quarter belonged entirely to Cameroon. Messina hit a layup, Samnick chipped in free throws, and suddenly the deficit shrank. Samnick erupted for a personal 9-0 run, slicing Mali’s cushion to just five points.

From there, the defending champs unraveled, missing shots, committing fouls and struggling with decision-making. Bienvenue, Mbaha, Messina and Akamba kept piling pressure on Mali, flipping the scoreboard and giving Cameroon a stunning 52-50 advantage with just over two minutes left.

Bienvenue extended the lead with a clutch bucket before Guindo drained a three-pointer to silence the Cameroonian bench and cut the deficit to one. Yet a critical foul sent Messina to the stripe, where she hit one of two free throws, nudging Cameroon ahead 55-53.

Mali had one last shot to salvage bronze and silence the comeback narrative. The ball found Guindo in the dying seconds, the same sharpshooter who had saved them countless times before. She launched a deep attempt, the crowd held its breath, but the shot clanked out.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]