Mali top Cote d'Ivoire to reach Quarter-Finals for first time in six years

RADES (AfroBasket 2015) - Mali put on an inspiring performance in the Round of 16 at AfroBasket 2015, beating Cote d'Ivoire 76-57.

Boubabcar Sidibe came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points as the Malians advanced to the tournament's Quarter-Finals for the first time since 2009.

Mali managed to stop Cote d'Ivoire's leading scorer Souleyman Diabate and the strategy worked to perfection as they outplayed their opponents from start to finish.

By half-time, Diabate - who averaged 18.3 points per game in the Group Phase - had only 5 points and 2 assists as Sylvain Lautie's team went into the locker room with a comfortable 44-16 lead.

Although Diabate led the 'Elephants' with 18 points, he struggled offensively, turning the ball over 7 times.

Turning Point: Mali started strong with a 15-2 run in the opening six minutes and never trailed.

Stats Don't Lie: Cote d'Ivoire's poor shooting from long-range proved costly as they made only 1 of their 24 three-point attempts.

Game Hero: Mali's Drissa Ballo did a great job on the boards, finishing with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Bottom Line: Mali reach the Quarter-Finals for the first time in six years and will face the winners of the Round of 16 battle between hosts Tunisia and Morocco. Cote d'Ivoire failed in their attempt to reach the Quarter-Finals for the fifth consecutive time and will take part in the Classification Games.

FIBA