LUANDA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 31st FIBA AfroBasket quarterfinals commenced Wednesday in Angola's capital Luanda, with Mali narrowly defeating last edition's runners-up Cote d'Ivoire, while Senegal snatched another semifinal berth from 2015 champions Nigeria.

In the first clash of the day, both Mali and Cote d'Ivoire traded quarters. With three seconds remaining until the final buzzer, a dunk from Mali's Aliou Fadiala Diarra evened the score, forcing a timeout call from Cote d'Ivoire.

Upon returning to the court, Matt Costello's jumper rimmed out, sending the game into the tournament's first overtime, where Mali gained dominance from start to finish, particularly highlighted by Siriman Kanoute's two shots from beyond the arc.

Cote d'Ivoire could only score from the free throw line, unable to establish any offensive rhythm, while Mali steadily pulled away to secure a 102-96 overtime triumph.

Elsewhere, Nigeria led Senegal narrowly 24-23 after the first quarter, but Senegal intensified their offense in the second quarter, unleashing an 11-2 run early on.

Jean-Jacques Boissy was particularly outstanding, single-handedly recording four three-pointers in the period, helping Senegal extend their lead to 53-42 by halftime.

Senegal continued their momentum in the second half with an 8-0 run to open the third quarter before increasing their winning margin to 19 points. Nigeria mounted a comeback in the final quarter, hitting five three-pointers, but ultimately fell short, dropping 75-91 to the West African heavyweights.

Senegal captain Brancou Badio top-scored with 32 points, including four three-pointers; 25-year-old Boissy contributed 21 points with five three-pointers; and Pape Moustapha Diop added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senegal also dominated the paint with a 53-35 rebounding advantage over Nigeria.

"We started out kind of flat, and they came out with a lot of energy. It's a high-level team. They have a lot of high-level players, and you can't give them a cushion like that," Nigeria captain Ike Nwamu told Xinhua.

"We had a new group, and we had a lot of fun together. It was a long journey getting here, and we didn't have the outcome that we wanted, but I think there are a lot of positives to take from it," added Nwamu, who notched a team-high 15 points.

The final two semifinal spots will be decided on Thursday, with Angola facing Cape Verde, while Egypt take on Cameroon. ■