Mali pulled off the first stunner of the Women's Basketball World Cup by defeating Spain 82-73 on Saturday in Berlin. It was only the second win ever in tournament history for the African country, which previously beat Senegal in overtime in the 2010 edition.
Mali trailed by two points at halftime but outscored Spain 31-19 in the third quarter to seize control. After falling behind 45-44, Mali went on a 16-4 run during that period to take command of the game. Sika Kone, who plays for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA, made two three-pointers during the decisive run.
Kone finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Djeneba N'Diaye also contributed 19 points for Mali. Mali scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, including another three-pointer by Kone, to put the game away. Spain could get no closer than nine points for the remainder of the contest.
Iyana Martin scored 20 points for Spain, which entered the tournament as one of the top teams in the world. Spain's loss meant the team missed an early qualification for the final round. Mali improved to 2-10 in its World Cup history, while both teams finished Saturday's group play with a 1-1 record.
According to tournament rules, the group winner advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-place finishers must compete in an additional knockout match.