Mareng Gatkuoth nets 12 as South Sudan snaps Tunisia’s 14-game FIBA winning streak at U23 World Cup qualifier
NCMP
February 27, 2022
Mareng Gatkuoth and the South Sudan Basketball Federation keep soaring to new heights.
The Anchorage native scored 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench as the Sudanese shocked reigning Africa champion Tunisia 72-64 in Group B of the FIBA U23 World Cup African qualifier.
The victory improved South Sudan to 2-0 in group play and snapped Tunisia’s 14-game winning streak in FIBA tournaments dating to 2019.
Gatkuoth, a sophomore at Montana State University, drained 4-of-5 3-pointers, including back-to-backs treys early in the second quarter that gave South Sudan the lead for good.
The 6-foot-5 guard also played with the Sudanese during last summer’s FIBA Africa Championships.
The big stage brings out the best in Gatkuoth.
In today’s game, he entered the game late in the first quarter and went to work early in the second quarter, first grabbing a rebound and then draining back-to-back 3-pointers to give South Sudan a 30-24 lead.
