KIGALI (Rwanda) – In the first game of the day, Cameroon defeated Uganda 57-50 in a Group B matchup. Three hours later, Angola held the host team Rwanda scoreless in overtime to win 67-56.
This FIBA.basketball article recounts the events of both games.
Cameroon too strong for Uganda
Cameroon got off to the best possible start in their U16 AfroBasket campaign, seeing off a very competitive Uganda team.
Nolan Ngangmeni’s performance throughout the first quarter was impressive.
The Cameroonian guard scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, and stole the ball once to help Cameroon take a 6-2 lead, which grew to 18-15 by the end of the quarter.
Joshua Bwakanda led Uganda's charge, netting six points. Shammah Kwizera contributed five early points, helping the young Silverbacks stay in the race.
Cameroon maintained their pace in the second quarter, growing their lead by outscoring Uganda 17-7 and claiming a 13-point advantage at halftime.
"We tried to maintain the same intensity on offense and defense. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn’t. But we’ll try to gain momentum as the competition gets underway,” noted Ngangmeni.
Uganda had two players who ended the game with a double-double.
Bwakanda claimed 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Pierre Laurent Rwihiriro closed his opening game with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Now that they have secured their first win, Cameroon feels confident enough to face Guinea on Friday, September 5. "We'll train and use the tools the coach gave us to prepare for the next game," added Ngangmeni.
Uganda, on the other hand, finds itself in a dire situation where it must win its next game to stay in the running.
Regarding their next game against Tunisia on Friday, Ngangmeni. has his own ideas about how to win.
“We’re going into the game planning to lead from tip-off until the final buzzer,” the 16-year-old said.
Angola breaks the hearts of Rwandan fans
Angola broke the hearts of the Rwandan fans when they beat the local team 67-56 in overtime. They outscored Rwanda 11-0 in the decisive five minutes of the game.
In their first matchup at the FIBA U16 AfroBasket in Kigali, the Palancas Negras faced a fierce local team.
Determined to shine in their Petit Stade de Kigali backyard, the hosts took control of the game from the first quarter. They led 11-7 after the first five minutes but saw Angola close in on them just before halftime.
In the second quarter, Angola staged a comeback and trailed by one point at halftime (34–33). The same scenario repeated in the third quarter, with Rwanda still ahead by one point (46–45).
Angola took the lead in the first minutes of the fourth quarter, and Rwanda needed a hero.
In the final seconds of the game, Manzi Enzo Kabenga rose to score a layup and earn a free throw that could have changed the game's outcome.
He missed his shot, and the two teams finished at 56-56 after 40 minutes of competition.
Though Angola won the overtime, Rwanda's combative effort was notable when the Palancas Negras scored four consecutive free throws.
They kept going, and though Rwanda tried to fight back, it was no use.
Edilson Pedro was Angola’s hero; he scored a game-high 24 points and had 16 rebounds.
Kabenga was Rwanda’s go-to player, scoring 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
FIBA