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VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Carlik Jones scored 19 points and South Sudan rallied in the second half to beat Puerto Rico 90-79 in the Paris Olympics opener for both teams on Sunday.
It is the first Olympic basketball victory for South Sudan, which is playing in its first Olympics games after qualifying as Africa’s top finisher in last year’s World Cup. Marial Shayok added 15 points for South Sudan, which will next meet the U.S. on Tuesday.
We were familiar with your game, @carlikjones but you keep showing out
Carlik Jones carries South Sudan to a historic first win at #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/AeZPVnx7A8
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 28, 2024
Puerto Rico led throughout the first half of the Group C matchup but was disrupted late in the second quarter after top scorer Jose Alvarado left late with an apparent sprained ankle. He returned early in the third quarter and finished with 26 points and five assists. Tremont Waters added 18 points.
But South Sudan took control down the stretch, building as much as a 13-point lead with just over three minutes to play.
