Gabon stun Cape Verde in biggest upset so far

RADES (AfroBasket 2015) - Against all odds, Gabon on Wednesday stunned Cape Verde 77-67 in the AfroBasket 2015 Round of 16 to advance to the Quarter-Finals.

Therence Gyll Mayimba came off the bench to lead the Gabonese with a team-best 17 points, while Cape Verde's Mario Correia finished with a game-high 23 points.

It was a balanced contest throughout with no fewer than 14 lead changes.

Gabon trailed 41-39 at half-time but never gave up and Mayimba helped them come away with an impressive win.

Turning Point: Lerry Essono's lay-up tied the game at 67-67 with 2:37 left to play before Mayimba hit a three-pointer a minute later, and the islanders left it too late to get their heads back into the game as Gabon took off from there and never trailed again.

Stats Don't Lie: Cape Verde entered the fourth quarter leading 58-55. However, they turned the ball over six times in that final period to self-destroy their hopes and expectations of advancing to the Quarter-Finals for the second time in a row.

Game Hero: While Mayimba, Essono and Stephan Lasme combined for 48 points for Gabon, it was Aymar-Kabrel Boundou's aggressive defense which disrupted Cape Verde's play-making. He is not the most gifted player offensively, but his defense paid off.

The Bottom Line: Cape Verde were favourites to move on the Quarter-Finals. However, at times, it seemed they underestimated Gabon, especially as they took too long to react to their counterattacks. The Gabonese went on to finish with 18 fast-break points. Gabon's coach Thierry Bouanga may have realised that they needed alternative options, and he came up with an obvious solution as his bench contributed a staggering 28 points.

FIBA