News from Angola – The National Men’s Senior Basketball Team debuted with defeat this Friday, in Manila, capital of the Philippines, against Italy 67-81, in the World Cup organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
By: Mateus Sorte
The Angolan team started the match better, leading by seven points twice (9-2) and (11-4), respectively, but allowed themselves to be overtaken until the end of the first period (17-23).
In the second quarter, the most balanced and with the lead on the scoreboard fluctuating more often, the Africans came out strong and put pressure on and only shook it off at the end, to end up losing at half-time (40-43).
In the last two periods, especially in the fourth, the Italians demonstrated greater levels of concentration and beat them, one by (57-61) and the last to close the match with the score to register (67-81).
For Angola, the most unhappy was the athlete from Petro de Luanda, Childe Dundão, who scored 19 points, added three assists and the same number of rebounds in 29 minutes and 26 seconds.
Simone Fontecchio, 27, from the North American Utah Jazz team, from the National Basketball Association (NBA), was the best unit of the team’s opponents with 19 points, five rebounds, as well as two assists in a performance that lasted 27 minutes and five seconds.
Angola is in Group A and plays on the 27th against the hosts (Philippines), at 1 pm, at the pavilion, Smart Araneta Coliseum (Manila), and on the 29th against the Dominican Republic, at 9 am, on the same court. In other games already played, Montenegro beat Mexico (91-71), Australia got the better of Finland (98-72) while Latvia beat Lebanon with impressive wins (109-70).