The SA team continued its impressive run in the men's and women's wheelchair basketball competitions at the African Para Games in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday.
The women defeated Morocco 34-16, while the men led 27-9 at halftime before defeating Angola 54-26.
South Africa were aiming for their third straight win and remained undefeated, while Morocco lost their first two games but bounced back with a 23-12 win over Ghana. South Africa appeared to have the advantage going into the match as they had beaten the hosts 51-31.
However, Morocco's long stay in the contest proved that it would not be easy. South Africa took the lead in a low-scoring game and held a six-point lead (18-12) by half-time. It was a meaningful game as they outscored Morocco 6-4 in the third period and entered the final 10 minutes of the game with a 26-16 advantage.
The first score of the final quarter came at the 1:40 mark, giving Team SA a 28-16 lead. They then took advantage of Morocco's mistakes and punished their opponents, making it 30-16.
South Africa continued to gain momentum in the closing stages, opening up a 34-16 advantage that disappeared from the scoreboard.
On Friday, the South African women's team will take on Kenya, looking to maintain a perfect 100% winning record from four games, having already defeated Zambia, Ghana and Morocco.
Source: Team SA
Wheelchair, Basketball, Para, SA Sports News, 2023, Africa Para Games