ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - On Sunday, Eveline Toyounon made the difference for Cameroon again, powering them past Tunisia 61-51.
This win closed out a perfect group stage for Cameroon, who finished Group C with a 3-0 record and will head into the quarterfinals as the top seed.
Toyounon posted a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists, earning a game-best efficiency rating of 16. She anchored Cameroon on both ends, though Tunisia pushed them harder than the final score suggests.
Tunisia started strong, winning the first quarter 15-11. Cameroon edged the second quarter 11-10, trailing 25-22 at halftime. The third quarter was a defensive battle won 18-12 by Cameroon after Charlene Poliwa's late defensive rebound sealed the quarter.
With the score tight at 52-49 and 2:53 left, Marie Messina made two free throws after Maria Sammick was fouled. Yvana Bella then added two more to push the lead to nine. Cameroon controlled the clock from there, closing the fourth quarter with a score of 21-14.
Maria Messina led all scorers with 15 points, eight rebounds, and one assist. Anouchka Malengue added 10 points. Tunisia's Orane Tlemcani was her team's top scorer with 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
After the game, Cameroon’s coach, Ange Lonteu, said, "I'm very happy with the victory," praising Tunisia's second-half adjustments: "What they proposed today was really surprising. It was tough; it was difficult to win," she said.
Looking ahead, she added, "We'll take it one game at a time. Finishing first in our pool means we won't face the hardest team right away."
Tlemcani said that Cameroon’s aggressiveness made the difference in the game. "Cameroon was very aggressive, which affected our play, just as they beat us on the rebound."
Cameroon finished group play undefeated, following wins over Senegal (60-30) and Nigeria (75-74), and will enter the knockout rounds as the team to beat. Tunisia finished second, but showed enough fight to be a tough opponent going forward.
FIBA