BY Victor Akhidenor
Nigeria reached the final of the AfroBasket 2015 after an 88-79 overtime win over Senegal on Saturday in Rades, Tunisia.
The win ended Senegal’s five-game winning streak in the tournament and propelled Nigeria to the final for the first time since 2003.
Chamberlain Oguchi made 8 of his 13 three-pointers to lead all scorers with 28 points, while Gorgui Dieng, who spent the entire 45 minutes and was in foul limit, propelled Senegal with 20 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Nigeria’s nine-point lead in the second was short-lived as Ibrahima Thomas hit a three-pointer with three seconds to give Senegal a 37-35 half-time lead.
But when Nigeria entered the final minute of the regulation leading 76-73, Dieng thought they needed extra five minutes, making a three-pointer to tie the contest at 76-76.
Nigeria’s team rotation proved crucial as their bench came with a pivotal 21-point contribution.
Photo credit: fiba.com
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