Grapevine

U-18 AfroBasket: Young D’Tigers bounce back with Angola win

Nigerian duo Isaac Ezekiel (21 points, six rebounds) and team captain Azeez Sulaimon (20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and ten steals) put Nigeria on victory in the Group B battle.

Mateus Abraem led Angola with 14 points, while team captain Aginaldo Neto contributed 12 points. David Youdela and Josema Cesar scored 11 points each.

The South Africans came into the battle with a victory over Uganda, while Nigeria lost to Egypt. So, the encounter carried weight in Group B at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall.

Nigeria dominated Angola in the paint, scoring 14 of their points in that area; the West Africans also profited off their opponent’s sloppiness in possession, scoring 13 points from turnovers.

Mercurial point guard Sulaimon’s nine points helped Nigeria close out the first half 32-24, while Angola’s seasoned floor general Neto led his country with six points.