The University of Parakou reached the men's basketball final at the 12th African University Games in Cairo on Monday, overpowering the University of Canada 96-52 in the semi-final. The Beninese side, coached by Jean M'Po, stretched its unbeaten run to four matches and will play for gold on Tuesday against the Guinean University Sports Federation.
Parakou seized control from the opening quarter, which it won 33-18, and went into halftime leading 54-37. The margin grew to 32 points by the end of the third quarter, 78-46, before the Benin representatives closed out a 44-point victory.
The tournament has been a one-sided affair for Parakou, whose earlier results include an 87-53 win over Higher Education Institutes, a 73-71 victory against the American University in Cairo, and a 63-49 defeat of the Guinean University Sports Federation in the group phase. Tuesday's final will therefore serve as a rematch with the Guineans, who lost to Parakou by 14 points earlier in the competition.
The men's basketball gold-medal match is scheduled for 4:00 pm local time at the American University in Cairo, 2:00 pm in Benin. The African University Games conclude on Wednesday, September 16, with basketball, football, volleyball and futsal still on the schedule.
