South Sudan held off a second-half rally from Guinea to win 81-71 in the second round of FIBA World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Rades. Guinea led by as much as four in the first quarter before Carlik Jones's three-pointer with 3:34 left in the period flipped the game for good.
South Sudan closed the opening quarter on a 12-0 run and stretched the margin to 27 points in the second. Guinea answered with a 13-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to cut the deficit back to 14, but South Sudan steadied down the stretch. Jones delivered the only basket of a tense fourth-quarter stretch to restore a two-possession cushion and seal the 10-point win.
Jones finished with 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists, shooting 8-of-17 from the field. Majok Deng added 14 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, while JT Thor contributed 11 points, six rebounds and two steals without a turnover.
Souley Boum Jr. led Guinea with 19 points and four assists, going 4-of-8 from three. Guinea's inconsistency during South Sudan's decisive first-quarter surge, when the visitors managed just one field goal in seven attempts, proved too costly to overcome despite the late comeback bid.
