TQO top performers: Ousmane Ndiaye, Senegal's new gem
At 19, Ousmane Ndiaye was the standout of day 1 of the TQO. The power forward showed off his talent on the court at the Eco Convention Center.
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Senegal beat Nigeria 93-87 on Monday 14 August on the opening day of the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament (TQO). The win was built on 4 players who each scored more than 10 pts: Youssou Ndoye (15 pts), Ousmane Ndiaye (14 pts), Brancou Badio (14 pts) and Mamadou Faye (11 pts).
The spotlight, though, falls on the performance of 19-year-old power forward Ousmane Ndiaye. In his 1st official outing with the senior team, the Baskonia player was excellent from the 3-point line (4 of 8), a 50% success rate. That is no surprise. The youngster was in fact the top 3-point scorer at the 2022 U18 Afrobasket, having made 17 of 53 attempts in 6 games played. Ousmane Ndiaye played 28 minutes (14 pts, 5 rebounds, +12 rating). At 2 metres 10 centimetres, he adds a huge amount in the paint, hence his place in the starting 5.
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On the other side, Uche Iroegbu (24 pts, 5 assists) and Chimezie Metu (22 pts, 10 rebounds) tried to spark a Nigerian fightback. Uche Iroegbu finished with a +25 rating. He shot 8 of 12 (66.75) from the field, 6 of 8 on 2-pointers (75%) and 2 of 4 from 3-point range (50%). But his numbers were not enough for Nigeria, who lost to Senegal in the face of a superb Ousmane Ndiaye. The D'Tigers must now beat Mali to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals of the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament (TQO).
Victor BAGAYOKO