Tunisia hold on against Senegal to take third place

RADES (AfroBasket 2015) - Michael Roll had the best performance of his international career with Tunisia to date as the hosts held off Senegal 82-73 in the AfroBasket 2015 Third-Place Game on Sunday in Rades, Tunisia.

Roll made 4 of his 8 three-point attempts to lead all scorers with 25 points as Tunisia bounced back from a disappointing Semi-Final clash against Angola on Saturday.

Tunisia, who in the process recorded their highest offensive output of the tournament, led for all but 48 seconds of the contest.

Senegal struggled to adjust to the Tunisian defense despite a tremendous effort from Antoine Mendy and Gorgui Dieng who combined for 38 points.

The Senegalese failed to match the third-place finish they achieved two years ago in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Tunisia played without star player Salah Mejri but stepped out on the court ready to do whatever was necessary to finish on the podium for the first time since they were crowned African champions four years ago in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Heading into the game, both teams had already done their part to secure places in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTS).

Turning Point: Mourad El Mabrouk hit two three-pointers in a row to give Tunisia a 75-61 lead with 3:43 left to play and Senegal, who fought hard to get back in the game, were unable to respond.

Stats Don't Lie: Senegal missed 9 of their 27 free-throws, and their 17 turnovers proved costly.

Game Hero: Roll led Tunisia not only with long-range shooting, but also with a team-high 5 assists. The US-born player had an an all-around performance for the tournament hosts.

The Bottom Line: Both Xane Dalmeida and Dieng played all 40 minutes and combined for 29 points. This explains why Senegal's bench contributed only 18 points against Tunisia's 38. Tunisia appeared to be a totally different team than the one which fell in the Semi-Finals against Angola.

FIBA