Carlik Jones delivered in the decisive moments as South Sudan edged Tunisia 79-75 in a tense FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers Group E clash on August 30, 2026, in Radès, Tunisia.
The game went down to the final seconds, with Tunisia
fighting back to level the score at 75-75 with 35 seconds remaining.
Yacine Toumi’s three-pointer brought the home crowd to its
feet and appeared to give Tunisia fresh momentum.
Jones then took control when South Sudan needed it most.
With 20 seconds left, Jones scored to give South Sudan a
77-75 lead. Tunisia called a timeout, but the Bright Stars held on.
Jones was then fouled with 4.8 seconds left and made both
free throws to put South Sudan ahead 79-75 and seal the win.
At halftime, South Sudan was behind Tunisia by 2 points,
42-40. Tunisia won the first quarter 22-20, while both teams scored 20 points
in the second quarter.
The Bright Stars came out strongly after the break, winning the third quarter 21-19 to cut the deficit further.
They then produced a decisive fourth-quarter performance, outscoring Tunisia 18-14 to complete the comeback and secure victory.
The victory capped a strong run for South Sudan, who had already defeated Guinea 81-71 and Nigeria 82-79 in their previous games.
The Bright Stars are in Group E with Tunisia, Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroon and Cape Verde, aiming to qualify for another FIBA Basketball World Cup.