MOÇÂMEDES (Angola) – South Sudan needed to restore their top-ranking credentials, which they did in remarkable fashion by demolishing Libya 115-52 in Thursday's Group C action in Moçâmedes, southern Angola.
After suffering a shocking loss to Guinea on Tuesday, South Sudan dominated from start to finish, reviving their chances of topping Group C.
The 63-point win is the largest winning margin by any team in the 2025 AfroBasket tournament thus far.
Naseem Badrush was the only Libyan player to score in the double digits, finishing with 17points.
Meanwhile, all 12 of South Sudan's players scored at least two points each.
South Sudan improved to 1-1, while Libya dropped to 0-2 with one game left in Group C.
TURNING POINT: Determined to bounce back from their opening night loss, South Sudan took the floor and immediately dismantled Libya with their suffocating full-court press.
Two and a half minutes into the game, South Sudan led 9-2, prompting Libya's head coach, Sam Vincent, to call a timeout.
South Sudan's 18-2 lead midway through the opening quarter sent a clear message about who would win the game, especially since Libya struggled to keep up with their opponents' pace.
South Sudan led 31-12 at the end of the opening quarter and never allowed Libya to take the lead.
HER0: Team captain Nuni Omot led by example, leading the Bright Stars with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The 2023 Basketball Africa League MVP was joined by five other teammates who also scored in the double digits, demonstrating that teamwork was essential to their victory.
STATS DON'T LIE: Seven turnovers by Libya in the first quarter, followed by another five in the second, revealed their uncoordinated plays.
Shooting 12-for-24 from the free throw line didn't help Libya either.
Nothing went according to plan for Sam Vincent's team, which allowed South Sudan to score 32 points off 21 turnovers.
However, the biggest difference between the two teams was evident in their contributions to the game; South Sudan's bench outscored Libya's 32-9.
BOTTOM LINE: Weeks before the 2025 AfroBasket, no one predicted that Libya would suffer such large losses, given their impressive performance during the qualifiers.
After losing to Angola, the host team, on the opening night, Libya was no match for South Sudan. They struggled to adjust to South Sudan's aggressiveness and physicality. To make matters worse, their shots were way off target, and they finished 11-for-49.
South Sudan became the first team to hit the 100-point mark in the Championship and Libya has scored the fewest points in a 2025 AfroBasket game so far.
With two losses in two Group C games, Libya's chances of advancing to the quarterfinals were slim.
FIBA