This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
Kenya's men's basketball team has made history by booking their first-ever spot in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations basketball tournament in Bamako, Mali.
On July 24, 2019, the team secured a thrilling 85-83 win over Ivory Coast, with Tyler Okari's buzzer-beating shot being the decisive factor.
With only 17 seconds left on the clock and the teams tied at 83-83, Kenya coach Cliff Owuor called a time-out, which helped the team advance the ball to the last quarter of the game.
Okari, who led the scorecard with 24 points, shook off his marker Amboudou Kabirou, took a dribble to the left, then a cross over to the right, and pulled up a jumper just at the edge of the arc, which dropped with the buzzer ending the game.
Coach Owuor praised Okari's determination, saying, "I called a time-out and Okari told me he wanted to win us the game, so I drew a play that isolated him from the rest and indeed he won it for us on the stroke of time."
The team's inside presence was also felt, with power forward Ronnie Gundo being outstanding, and Eric Mutoro's energy keeping the team going.
Kenya will face Tunisia in the quarters on Wednesday night, with other quarter-final matches featuring Angola v Algeria, DR Congo v Tchad, and Mali v Morocco.
