Sierra Leone secure maiden U16 AfroBasket berth

Sierra Leone has qualified for the first time ever for the FIBA U16 AfroBasket. They did this by winning two games against Mauritania in the Zone 2 Qualifiers held in Conakry, Guinea. With only six players, the Sierra Leonean team beat the odds to win a spot in the 2025 FIBA U16 AfroBasket Final Round scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2 to 14. This is an important step in the growth of basketball in the West African country. Sierra Leone started the tournament with a strong win, beating their opponents 54 to 36 at the Palais des Sports. The team started strong with a 16-7 lead in the first quarter and kept scoring, ending the first half with a 27-12 lead. Mauritania tried to come back with a 12-8 third quarter, but Sierra Leone ended the game strongly with a 19-12 final stretch to win the first of two games. Mauritania played more aggressively in the second match on Saturday, starting with a 12-10 run that surprised their opponents. However, Sierra Leone regrouped and took control before halftime with a strong 25-11 run. They dominated the third quarter 19-11, which made it impossible for the other team to win. Although Mauritania was ahead in the last quarter 12-11, it wasn't enough to turn the game around. Sierra Leone won the series with a 65-46 victory. Abdulrahman Sesay was the best player in both games. He scored 16 points in the first game and got 14 points, 25 rebounds, and 4 assists in the second. Solomon Khana averaged 8 assists per game, which helped the team control the ball and share information. Benjamin Davis scored 12 and 11 points in the two games, respectively, which helped the team stay consistent. Sierra Leone is now looking forward to Kigali, where they will make their first appearance on Africa's biggest youth basketball stage and compete against the continent's best players.
Courtesy of: fiba.basketball