LUANDA, Angola - Rwanda clinched the Third-Place Game at the 2023 FIBA AfroCan thanks to a hard-fought 82-73 win over defending champions DR Congo. 

It is the Rwandans's first-ever podium finish and first appearance at the quadrennial FIBA Africa tournament.

The game was a tug-of-war until the end of the third quarter, when Rwanda took the lead for good and never looked back.

The East African side withstood the early attacks of their opponents, but never really fell behind and even led by ten points just before half-time.

However, in a spectacular turnaround, the Congolese came back into the game but were unable to put the Rwandans away for good.

Rwanda end their campaign in Angola with a 3-3 record while DR Congo finished 3-2.

TURNING POINT: As Rwanda coach Yves Murenzi so aptly put it, the game turned on its head towards the end of the third quarter, when the his team, trailing by 7 points, turned things around and went on to win the final frame 25-11.

The Rwandans initially led by 2 points (19-17) before going up by 5 points at halftime. In the third quarter, however, the Democratic Republic of Congo unleashed and offensive arsenal for a 29-19 celebration.

In the final frame, DR Congo collapsed as Rwanda rediscovered their offensive efficiency to win 82-73.

STATS DON'T LIE: Rwanda exploited three aspects of the game to perfection. First, the Congolese turnovers, which allowed them to score 12 points.

Second, their increased presence in the paint, where they scored 40 points to the Congolese's 38.

Finally, they were also able to count on a bench that was far more productive than their opponents', contributing 28 points compared to just 20 for the DRC.

Likewise, their 11 makes from three-point range weighed much more heavily in the balance, while the DRC managed just two baskets from beyond the arc.

Dieudonne Ndizeye

HEROES: The hero of the day is obviously on the Rwandan side and his name is Dieudonne Ndizeye.

With 3 of 9 attempts from the three-point line and a 3 for 3 on free-throws, he finished with 22 points and 4 rebounds.

He was aided by the prolific Jean-Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, who finished with 15 points, including 9 from three, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.

For DR Congo, the combined efforts of Pitchou Manga (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Gamine Kande Kieli (20 points, 5 rebounds) were not enough to penetrate the Rwandan defense.

BOTTOM LINE: Rwanda proved to be realistic when it mattered most. Even though they saw the DRC coming back, the Rwandans didn't panic and applied the coach's instructions to win a bronze medal that will go down in their basketball history.

DR Congo, for their part, paid for their defensive errors. But thanks to their semi-finalist status, they will automatically advance to the next edition of the AfroCan.

Jean-Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza

THEY SAID: "I'm really happy for the players. They fought hard. Fighting against a neighboring country goes beyond basketball. I congratulate my players because they behaved well. There were ups and downs. We had to stay calm and concentrated, especially when we were down by six points. But we came back very strong and won the game. That's the most important thing. Towards the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth quarter, something went wrong, but we corrected that and played very hard to win." Yves Murenzi, Rwanda coach.

"It means a lot for Rwanda basketball fans, players and family. Getting that third place at AfroCan gives us even more motivation to achieve something bigger at AfroBasket and other tournaments. We didn't have a good start at the AfroCan, but I feel great now." Dieudonne Ndizeye, Rwanda shooting guard.

FIBA