Wednesday

Rwanda            53-40        Algeria

DR Congo        120-65      Benin

Uganda             73-89        Tunisia

Mali                   91-39        Gabon

Rwanda U-18 basketball team upset Algeria in a hard fought 53-40 victory to advance to quarter-finals in the ongoing FIBA Africa U-18 Championships at the Amahoro indoor stadium, Kigali.

Hosts Rwanda, who qualified for the round of last eight as first runners-up in Group A, will now face Tunisia on Friday.

The latter finished third in Group B behind Angola and Egypt.

In a front of a fully packed Amahoro arena, Moise Mutokambali’s boys started the game on a high, taking the first quarter 11-6. Algeria narrowly won the second quarter 10-9 to go into half-time trailing Rwanda by 20-16.

After the break, Rwanda returned sharper and looking ready to bounce back and went on to win the third quarter 13-11, before sealing it off with a fourth quarter win (20-13) to register their third win of the tournament after victories against Gabon and Ivory Coast.

Elsewhere, on Wednesday, DR Congo humiliated Benin in an emphatic 120-65 win, Tunisia overcame Uganda 89-73, while Mali defeated Gabon 91-39.

By press time, holders Egypt and giants Angola were due to face off in a battle for the top spot in Pool B.

Today the teams will rest with the 10-day long continental competition set to return tomorrow with the quarter-final games. Finalists of the showpiece will automatically quality to represent Africa at the 2017 FIBA U-19 World Championship to be staged in Egypt.

The ongoing tournament ends on July 31.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw