NAIROBI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The qualification round to the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket quarterfinals concluded on Tuesday in Angola's capital Luanda, as Cameroon knocked out the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 77-68, clinching the final spot in the last eight.

The matchup was tightly contested from the outset, until late in the first quarter when Brice Eyaga Bidias drained back-to-back 3-pointers to put Cameroon 17-13 ahead before closing the period with a 19-13 lead, but the DRC quickly responded in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to just one point at halftime.

Cameroon pulled away in the third quarter with a 13-0 run. Despite a spirited fightback from a tenacious DRC side, a clutch free throw made by Tamenang Choh and a decisive 3-pointer from Williams Narace sealed a 77-68 victory.

Three Cameroon players scored in double figures, led by the 2024 NBA draftee Yves Missi, who posted a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds - the only double-double of the match.

"We came with a different mindset," Missi said at the post-match conference. "Play hard despite the mistakes we're doing. Just keep playing. Doesn't matter what's going on off the court, even what the referee is doing, whatever we're doing doesn't matter. Just keep playing through mistakes and give it on the court."

Meanwhile, defending champion Tunisia fell short of the quarterfinals after an 87-54 loss to Cape Verde, the last edition's fourth-placed finisher.

Cape Verde led from start to finish, particularly catching fire from beyond the arc in the second half, which saw an 18-0 run in the third quarter stretch its lead to 22 points.

Although Jawhar Jawadi bagged a game-high 19 points, Tunisia struggled offensively and grabbed 34 rebounds, compared to the opponent's 49, seeing its hopes of a three-peat evaporate.

With the group winners directly qualifying for the quarterfinals, the remaining spots were decided through the two-day qualification round starting on Monday.

Earlier, Mali narrowly defeated Guinea 70-67 on Monday, while the previous edition's bronze medalist Senegal overcame Africa's top-ranked South Sudan 78-65.

"We had a tough tournament. We had a very disappointing tournament. We'll regroup and start focusing on what's next," said South Sudan head coach Luol Deng.

"But I think for African basketball, I'm very happy, because the players deserve it. I think the game is getting better, and the players are better. So the more teams get better, the more respect we'll get, all as a whole," he added.

The quarterfinals will start on Wednesday, with Cote d'Ivoire to face Mali, while Nigeria meets Senegal. ■