Pix Courtesy:AIPS |
Angola’s
title
comes two years after Tunisia snapped their continental dominance in
Madagascar.
Carlos
Morais
led the new champions with a game-high 21 points while Sheriff Abdalla,
the
only Egyptian player in double digits, had team-high 15 points.
The
teams
entered the Final having already accomplished a major goal on Friday by
punching their tickets for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Prior to
the
title game, Senegal beat Cote d'Ivoire 57-56 in the Third-Place Game to
join
Angola and Egypt for Spain 2014, returning to FIBA's flagship event for
the
first time since 2006.
The
new African
champions entered the decisive game unbeaten in six games while the new
vice-champions lost their three Preliminary Round games before rolling
off
three consecutive and impressive wins in the Final Round over defending
champions Tunisia, Cape Verde and Senegal.
The
Final began
with the teams exchanging the lead, with Egypt in front 13-12 by the end
of the
first quarter.
Angola went up
17-15 on a three-pointer by Reggie Moore in the third minute of the
second
period, but Egypt tied the score at 17 all through Haytham Khalifa.
The
Angolans
pulled away as Joaquim Gomes scored six consecutive points and they
never
looked back.
Gomes, Felisardo
Ambrosio and Eduardo Mingas contained Egypt star player Marei Assem who
was
scoreless for the first 18 minutes of the game, until he made a pair of
free-throws.
While
he
finished with seven points, he only made one of his eight field goals
and it
came with six minutes left to play, when Angola led 48-35.
Egypt
head coach
Amr Aboul-Kheir sat him out with three minutes remaining as they trailed
51-36.
Angola
strengthened their full court defense and caused a lot trouble to a
struggling
Egyptian team.
A
group of
around 200 traveling Angolan fans funded by their government started
celebrating as their team progressively increased the in the third
quarter.
Angolans
Morais
and Mingas were named to the All-Tournament Team which also included
Cote
d'Ivoire Souleyman Diabate, Marei of Egypt and Maley Ndoye of Senegal.
Morais
was also
named the tournament's MVP.
He
told
FIBA.com: "I am pleased for this recognition, but this is down to our
team
work. I would have never received it if it were not for my teammates.
"We
deserved
to win this championship because of the sacrifice we have been through
in the past few months."
Amr
Aboul-Kheir
told FIBA.com: "Angola played well. They were the best team in the
tournament, but with this group of players, we must be optimistic. My
players
are young and very hardworking."
Milton
Barros of
Angola added: "It has been over two months since we left our families to
accomplish this trophy.
"This is
price for all the Angolan families."
Angola regained
their African dominance after a defeat to Tunisia two years ago and
Macedo said
the reason that happened "was because they did not select the right
players.
"We
did not
have Olimpio Cipriano or Carlos Almeida. Both gave us a tremendous
contribution. And we added Reggie Moore who played a crucial role to our
title."
Courtsey:AIPS
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