South Sudan Wins First Olympic Basketball Game, Defeats Puerto Rico 90-79

Jul 28, 2024, 12:35 PM

South Sudan made history by winning their first-ever Olympic basketball game, defeating Puerto Rico 90-79 in the men's Group C opener at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This victory marks only the second time an African team has won an Olympic basketball match since 1996. Key players for South Sudan included Carlik Jones with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Nuni Omot with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. Puerto Rico's Jose Alvarado led his team with 26 points, despite being helped off the court late in the second quarter due to an injury. Tremont Waters contributed 18 points for Puerto Rico. South Sudan's basketball federation, led by president Luol Deng, celebrated this significant achievement for the world's youngest nation. The match also saw an anthem blunder, where the wrong anthem was played for South Sudan before the game.