DAKAR (Senegal) - A composed Senegal wrapped up the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers in fine style, beating the Congo DR 75-56 in front of their home fans in Dakar.
How did they do it?
Senegal had a score to settle
This was the third time the two teams had met in World Cup qualifiers, the last being in the 2023 qualifiers four years ago when Congo DR defeated Senegal twice.
However, in these qualifiers, the Leopards were nowhere near as strong as the team that had Senegal's number.
Badji's defensive presence stifles Congo
Ibou Badji was the key player in the first half for Senegal, finishing the game with six points and seven rebounds.
The giant centre was a defensive wall, blocking four shots.
His efforts were rewarded when he swatted away a lay-up attempt from Patrick Mwanza and went on to slam dunk against the Congolese.
Badji then sprinted the length of the court to spectacularly finish the play, prompting coach Michel Perrin to call a time-out just two minutes in, with Senegal holding a 29–16 advantage.
Clinical finishing from three-point range stretched Senegal's lead to 49–26 heading into the third quarter.
Brancou Badio shot three out of eight from beyond the arc as the Lions of Teranga pushed for their second group stage win. He finished the game with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. He also finished five for 13 from three-point range.
Congo wilt in the third quarter
The Congolese team looked out of ideas by the third quarter, and the battle was over for them. Perrin had to call a time-out twice after Senegal scored a succession of points at different intervals.
Jean-Jacques Boissy scored a three-pointer, finishing the game with 10 points, and Badio made a fast-break dunk, pushing the score to 54–31.
Emphatic finishes from Gora Camara (10 points) and Ibrahim Faye (11 points) then extended the lead to 60–35. This forced the Congolese coach to call time-outs, which was a clear indication of how disjointed his team had looked during the second quarter.
Despite losing to Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, Congo has one win, against Madagascar. This gives them a fighting chance in the marathon qualifiers.
Senegal did well to overcome their opening defeat to Côte d'Ivoire, and they will be brimming with confidence as they head into the Dakar night with a 2–1 record.
FIBA