The prelimiary stage of the 2009 African Championships have finished (discuss).  Three nations Angola, Nigeria, and Senegal have moved onto the next round undefeated with three wins each.   Each team will play today in the quarterfinals.

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Nigeria was led by 24-year old Michael Efevberha’s 23 points, good for second in the field.  Efevberha also had 3.3 assists, and 3.0 steals a game.

The 2005 Afrobasket MVP Boniface N’dong led Senegal in scoring and rebounding in their first three games.  N’dong, a former NBA player who played 23 games for the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2005-06, averaged 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Senegalese.  The 7-0 center from Dakar also averaged 1.3 blocks.

DeSagana Diop helped Senegal dominate the inside with 12.3 rebounds a game.  Diop pulled down 15 rebounds, and scored 8 points, in Senegal’s 67-65 win over Cameroon.

Jeff Xavier, a graduate of Providence University in the USA, led the Afrobasket field in scoring.  Xavier put up 27.3 points a game for Cape Verde, who were the surprise Bronze medalists in the 2007 tournament.  Unfortunately, CPV lost two games in the prelimiaries and will play in the relegation round.

Xavier hoisted 58 three pointers in Cape Verde’s first four games; an average of 14 three-point attempts per game, including 22 shots from behind the arc in a win over the Congo.

Angola, the defending champions and favorites to win the tournament, didn’t have one  player in the top ten of scoring.  In Angola’s first three games, Joaquim “Kikas” Gomes led Angola with 15 points, Eduardo Mingas 12.3 points, and Carlos Almeida 11 points per game.

The tournament also features well-known players Pape Sow (Senegal), Ebi Ere (Nigeria), Romain Sato (CAF), Harding Nana and Alfred Aboya (Cameroon).