DAKAR (Senegal) - A dominant second-quarter performance by Côte d'Ivoire saw them coast to a 94-51 win in a Group B clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Marius Ndiaye Stadium in Dakar on Saturday.
Going into the fixture, both teams had already qualified for the next round of the World Cup qualifiers, but a win would put either on a good footing heading into round two.
The Ivorians, who had lost their return fixture against Senegal 85-72 on Thursday, put that defeat behind them by putting in a crisp performance that saw them go 4-1 in the group.
It was the second time Côte d'Ivoire had scored at least 90 points against DR Congo, having also done so during the second window of the World Cup Qualifiers in February and March, when the West Africans claimed a 96-59 victory.
Coach Miguel Ramos says his team's defence and knowledge of the Congolese set the tone for them in the encounter.
"It was our defence. We build our game from defence, and when we do that, we play great. We also understand how Congo plays, and because we are used to them, we play with more confidence," said Ramos.
Six players scored in double figures for the victorious Elephants; Assemian Moulare (17), Aboubacar Traore (13), Jean Phillipe Dally (11), Kevin Yebo (12), Junior Ouattara and Ulrich Kra scored 10 points each.
Winning captain Dally told FIBA.basketball, that team effort was the reason for their victory.
"We play like a team, and it starts with our defence. When we do that, the game is easy, and we get open shots, and you can see from the sheet that a lot of players scored a lot of points. That is what every player needs to do so we can qualify for the World Cup," said Dally.
DR Congo lost concentration and defensive discipline, allowing Côte d'Ivoire to seize the game in the first half.
Back-to-back threes by Ivorian players Ulrich Kra and Jean Phillipe Dally stretched their lead to 23-14, leading to a time-out call by Congolese coach Michel Perrin.
Point guard Assemian Moulare put in a good shift for the Ivorians in the first half, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Moulare was also able to force fouls, leading to him shooting two-of-two from the free-throw line.
A telling statistic in the first half was DR Congo turning the ball over 11 times, leading to eight points for Miguel Ramos' men.
The men in orange also forced seven steals, which contributed to their 44-25 lead going into the half-time break.
Ivorians stepped things up in the third quarter, outscoring Congo 11-2 and got a 55-27 lead with three minutes gone.
Even a Flo Thamba bucket could help stem the Ivorians' fluid offence as they piled the points. The Ivorians brought their A-game for the fixture, outplaying the DRC in every category.
The Ivorians scored 22 points from turnovers, 42 points in the paint, 26 second-chance points, 11 fastbreak points and 47 bench points.
FIBA