Uganda’s hopes of making a strong start to the latest window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers suffered a major setback after the Silverbacks were outclassed 95-62 by hosts Angola on Thursday night.
The Silverbacks produced a competitive first-half display and remained within touching distance before the game slipped dramatically away after the interval. Angola raised the intensity on both ends of the court, leaving Uganda with no response as the contest turned into a one-sided affair.
Selton Miguel opened the scoring for Angola with an early jump shot before Leonard Musiime replied from beyond the arc, setting the tone for an evenly contested opening exchanges.
Angola edged the first quarter 19-14 and gradually stretched their advantage to 42-35 by halftime, with Uganda still very much in the contest despite trailing by seven points.
However, the third quarter proved disastrous for the Silverbacks. Angola’s relentless full-court pressure completely disrupted Uganda’s offense, triggering a devastating 21-0 scoring run that effectively ended the contest before the final period.
By the end of the third quarter, the hosts had built an unassailable 27-point cushion and never looked back, with Abou Gakou knocking down consecutive three-pointers to cap a dominant 33-point victory.
Fayed Baale and Leonard Musiime each scored 17 points to lead Uganda’s offense, while Nike Sibande added 12. The trio accounted for the bulk of the Silverbacks’ scoring on an evening when the team struggled to cope with Angola’s defensive intensity after halftime.
Angola spread the scoring load impressively, with Selton Miguel finishing with 17 points, Gerson Gonçalves contributing 15, while Abou Gakou and Bruno Fernando each added 14 points in a commanding team performance.
The defeat leaves the Silverbacks with little time to recover as they shift focus to their next qualifier against Mali on Saturday, where victory will be crucial to keeping their World Cup qualification ambitions alive.
