TRIPOLI, Libya (SMU) - SMU senior Mouhammad Faye scored 13 points in a 73-65 Senegal victory over Tunisia that clinched the top-seed from Group F in the FIBA Africa Championships. The Senegalese (4-2) face the Ivory Coast on Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the championship.
Faye went 6-of-10 from the field with four rebounds in the final game of group play. Senegal shot 49.2 percent as a team, while holding Tunisia to just 39 percent. Senegal out-rebounded their opponent 41-21.
The Senegalese had dropped two straight and needed to win to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinal. Senegal and Tunisia (4-2) each finished with 10 points, but Senegal gained the top-seed from the group with the head-to-head victory.
Tunisia had a 34-27 lead with 1:30 left in the first half, but a 5-0 run pulled Senegal within 34-32 at halftime. Senegal tied the game at 34-34 less than 30 seconds into the second half and never trailed again.
The Senegalese are assured three more games as the African Championship concludes with matchups to determine the champion through eighth place. Senegal's quarterfinal matchup, Ivory Coast (3-3), is the No. 4 seed from Group E. Senegal will either face Cameroon (3-3) or Nigeria (5-1) on Friday. A win Thursday would put Faye and his teammates into the semifinal with a chance to advance to Saturday's championship game. In the other quarterfinal matchups, Angola faces Central African Republic and Mali plays Tunisia.