OPQT's: Senegal beat Mali to take top spot in Group A

LAGOS (Nigeria) - Senegal closed the first phase of their FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament campaign with a 74-71 win over Mali to advance to the Semi-Finals as Group A winners.

The Mamadou Gueye-coached team will now take on whoever finishes second in Group B, which will be determined between Tunisia and Guinea on Friday. Mali, meanwhile, will go up against Group B winners Cameroon in the last four.

Brancou Badio, who sat most of the third quarter when Mali seemed in control of the game, reentered the game early in the fourth to change Senegal's fortunes as he finished with a team-high 19 points.

In a game that recorded ten lead changes, small details were likely to prove vital, and Senegal's bench came up strong contributing 33 points against Mali's 24.

Aliou Diarra came off the bench to record his first double-double in the tournament after finishing with 12 points and 14 rebounds; Fousseyni Drame led Mali in scoring with 19 points, but Senegal proved stronger to beat.

 FIBA