Correia and Xavier lead Cape Verde over Cote d'Ivoire

RADES(AfroBasket 2015) - Cape Verde outplayed Cote d'Ivoire in the first game of Thursday's AfroBasket 2015 action, winning 76-56 in Rades, Tunisia.

The islanders, paced by an electrifying Jeff Xavier, led throughout the entire contest, leaving Cote d'Ivoire unable to execute effectively.

Xavier came off the bench to pour in a game-high 19 points as three other Cape Verdeans scored in double figures, including Ivan Almeida, Dimitry Coronel and Mario Correia.

Turning Point: As much as Cote d'Ivoire tried, the contest was never within their reach.

Stats Don't Lie: Souleyman Diabate was the only Ivorian to score in double digits, finishing with a dozen points. As a team, they turned the ball over 29 times, leaving head coach Hugues Occansey with some extra work to do for the remainder of the tournament. 

Cape Verde meanwhile made a tournament-high 13 three-pointers.

Game Hero: Veteran shooter Correia hit four of eight three-point attempts, sparking Cape Verde to 47-22 lead.

The Bottom Line: The win was a real statement of Cape Verde's position in Group D, which also includes Algeria and Zimbabwe. More than trouncing the 'Elephants', Cape Verde displayed an impressive ball movement as well a scoring efficiency. The islanders are a team to be reckoned with in the tournament, while Cote d'Ivoire need a lot of work to remain alive in the competition. 

FIBA