KIGALI (Rwanda) - In a tightly contested quarter-final game, Cameroon fought through a tough Ugandan challenge to secure a 53-50 victory, becoming the first team to qualify for the Last Four.
The debutants had qualified for the quarter-finals as the top-placed team in Group B, and, as luck would have it, were paired with the East African side that had finished third in the same group.
Having previously played each other in a closely contested 57-50 game in the group stage, this game was also expected to be hard-fought.
However, Uganda's 13-6 second quarter allowed Cameroon to take a double-digit lead, leaving the East African team chasing for the rest of the game.
TURNING POINT: The opening quarter was a game of two halves. Uganda led 9–6 in the opening five minutes before Nolan Ngangmeni went on a seven-point run to turn the tide in Cameroon's favour, making it 13–11. The quarter eventually ended 17–14.
By the midway point of the second quarter, Cameroon had extended their lead to 26-16. Felix Deumi scored six in this run, while Uganda's sole contribution came from Shane Kwizera at the free throw line. Luther Maboula's three-pointer saw the Central Africans take a 10-point (30–20) lead into the half-time break.
The difference remained at seven points seven minutes into the third quarter, but Uganda went on a 9–0 run to close the gap for the first time, trailing by just one point (37–36) with a minute to play.
However, some costly turnovers and empty possessions denied the East Africans the chance to take the lead, and Cameroon capitalised to lead 41-36 heading into the final quarter.
Despite playing a 14-12 quarter, Uganda's efforts were not enough to hand them victory. HERO: Oliver Ngoumou dominated on the defensive end, pulling down 17 rebounds — 15 of which were defensive — when his team needed it most, carrying Cameroon through Uganda's second-half resurgence.
He was also productive on offence, completing his double-double with 11 points and adding three assists for a team-high efficiency rating of 18.
Meanwhile, Nolan Ngangmeni converted 11 of 13 free throws, one three-point shot and one basket in the paint to finish with 16 points. STATS DON'T LIE: The two sides were closely matched, but Cameroon had the upper hand in the paint, going 30–22 ahead.
However, allowing one player to pick up 15 rebounds on defence is a statistic that the Ugandans will probably question.
Additionally, taking Cameroon to the free throw line 30 times was a major undoing, despite the Central Africans missing 13.
BOTTOM LINE: Cameroon are in a strong position to play in the championship game and qualify for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup on their debut. Finalists at this year's competition qualify for the global tournament.
Meanwhile, Uganda, who were looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time, have been relegated to the classification games, where they hope to finish fifth — an improvement on tenth place in the last edition and sixth place on their 2021 debut.
FIBA