Dar Tucker (L) of Jordan goes up for a basket during the group P match between Jordan and Senegal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Shanghai, east China, on Sept. 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)
SHANGHAI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Dar Tucker posted a game-high 34 points, 11 rebounds, helping Jordan grab their first-ever win after beating Senegal 79-77 here on Monday in Group P of the FIBA World Cup classification round.
Both Jordan and Senegal expected their first win at the tournament. Though Senegal took the lead early into the game by as many as 6 points, Jordan managed to tie the game twice and turned things around to a 22-16 lead after first 10 minutes. Jordan then continued the lead until Senegal came from behind with nearly 3 minutes left, ending 36-35 before the interval.
Senegal opened the second half with a 6-0 scoring run to 42-35, making the last quarter 56-55 with 14 more rebounds.
The two teams took turns leading, as Jordan started the last quarter with a 7-0 scoring run to take the game to 62-56. Senegal tied in up at 64-64 with 4 minutes remaining. Zaid Abbas of Jordan shot from the field to take the lead again. With 27 seconds left, Senegal cut the deficit to one point but failed to get the vital points to take the victory.
Senegal had 46 rebounds, but committed 19 turnovers, while Jordan recorded 30 rebounds and 12 turnovers.
"The win means a lot to Jordan and the players. We were beaten by Canada by 55 points, and my players came back to play with high spirits against Senegal," said Jordan coach Joseph Stiebing.
The 35-year-old Abbas, a frequent of the Chinese basketball league, dropped 8 points and 7 rebounds.
"It's so amazing to leave the tournament with a win, sadly we couldn't get like winning before. It's good for the fans and younger players. We tried to win, but there are all high-level teams. I am sure my younger teammates learned from this experience," said Abbas.
Abbas added that it's most likely his last performance with Jordan national team, and he expressed his gratitude to Chinese fans as he played in China for eight seasons.
Youssoupha Ndoye (L) and Makhtar Gueye of Senegal react during the group P match between Jordan and Senegal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Shanghai, east China, on Sept. 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)
