2017 AfroBasket: Nigeria clash with Tunisia in final

DEFENDING champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigers are on the verge of retaining the African title they won two years ago incidentally in Tunisia, following their qualification for the final of the 2017 FIBA AfroBasket championship jointly hosted by Tunisia and Senegal.
Nigeria coached by US-based Alex Nwora hammered joint hosts, Senegal 76-71 in Rades, Tunis, to book a showdown with hosts Tunisia in Saturday’s final billed to hold at the Salle Omnisport, Rades, Tunis, at 6:00pm to be preceded by the third place match between Morocco and Senegal.
The victory also earned the title holders, Nigeria the 2018 World Cup in Spain.
Nigeria won the first three quarters 15-12, 19-17 and 18-16 but lost the last quarter 24-26.
Captain Ike Diogu emerged the game’s top performers with 17 points, 14 rebounds, one assist and one steal, while team-mate, Bryant Mbamalu amassed the highest points, 19 in the game.
Unarguably, Alex Nwora’s team will have to contend with a number of adversities in today’s final including a partisan crowd that is expected to storm the 12,000 capacity Salle Omnisport.
Meanwhile, if Diogu, Mbamalu and Ikechukwu Nwamu could maintain their form, the Tunisians would get more than what they bargain for as the Nigerians are determined to return home with the trophy having come this far.
“Tunisia are a tough team, they are undefeated. We are going to be ready to play them,” 34-year-old Nigeria’s power forward told FIBA.basketball.
Meanwhile, unbeaten Tunisia were the first to qualify for the final as they outplayed  Morocco 60-52 in the first semi-final, just as the feat also earned the FIBA AfroBasket joint-hosts the ticket to the 2018 World Cup in Spain.
The Tunisians led by Makram Ben Romdhane, have proved doubters wrong in this year’s AfroBasket as they defeated all their group B opponents -including former continental champions Angola – before dispatching Egypt and Morocco to grab the World Cup ticket.
Tunisian Mohamed Hadidane emerged the best performer in the match with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal.
The homers led the in the first quarter 9-18 but were stunned by the Moroccans in the second quarter 12-18. The third quarter ended in a stalemate 17-17 while the Tunisians finished the last quarter 13-8 to win the game by six points.
http://www.fiba.basketball/afrobasket/2017/news