DAKAR (Senegal) - Côte d'Ivoire outclassed all their Group B opponents in Dakar, and, on Sunday they dismantled Madagascar 99-74.
Here are three key factors behind Côte d'Ivoire's third consecutive win:
The Elephants asserted themselves in the first half
Côte d'Ivoire's 14-0 run (30-16), which began with two minutes left in the first quarter and ended two minutes into the second, left Madagascar facing an uphill battle at the Marius Ndiaye Gymnasium.
Coach Miguel Ramos's Ivorian team capitalised on Madagascar's weaker second unit during their run.
The Ivorians dominated in the paint and scored 26 points in the first half. They also scored 12 points from turnovers, 11 fast-break points, and 12 second-chance points, demonstrating their continued dominance.
Côte d'Ivoire had more firepower
Five Elephants players scored in double figures: Johnathan Cissé (19 points), Lionel Kouadio (15 points), Kevin Yebo (13 points), Assemian Moulare (13 points) and Sydney Hammond (10 points). This is the third consecutive game in which five or more Ivorians have achieved this feat in these qualifiers.
'I think it's becoming a trend with this team. Everybody can score and everybody can play defence. If someone is not playing well, there is always someone on the bench who can replace them," said Kouadio, reflecting on the team's depth.
Madagascar, on the other hand, has to address the challenge of depth. In their match against Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar's second string struggled to keep up with the pace and power of the Elephants.
A case in point was the third quarter. The Malagasy found themselves 20 points behind (57–37), forcing coach John Douaglin to bring back players with a proven track record, such as Sitraka Raharimanantoanina (20 points) and Kiady Razanamahenina (six assists).
Teamwork formula proves successful for Ivorians
Coach Ramos will be pleased with how his Côte d'Ivoire team played in the three games of the second window.
His focus on a team-first approach paid off in Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire seem like early favourites to secure a place at the World Cup.
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FIBA