Carlik Jones scored 19 points to lead South Sudan to first Olympic win

Led by veteran Carlik Jones, South Sudan overcame a first-half deficit to complete a historic 90-79 win over Puerto Rico in Group C on Sunday to open the 2024 Olympic Games in Lille, France.

Jones produced 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Marial Shayok had 15 points and Nuni Omot added 12 points and six rebounds to lead South Sudan to its first-ever victory in the Olympics. Peter Jok had 11 points, while Wenyen Gabriel and JT Thor both had six points.

Puerto Rico, who was led by José Alvarado, was up by nine points in the first quarter and carried a six-point advantage to halftime. South Sudan responded by outscoring its opponent 42-25 in the second half to take control of the game. Alvarado finished with a game-high 26 points.

HISTORY MADE!! 🇸🇸 pic.twitter.com/8qIYJeVE6h

— South Sudan Basketball (@SSBFed) July 28, 2024

South Sudan, whose president is former 15-year NBA veteran Luol Deng, claimed its first Olympic berth last year by finishing as the top African team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, its first international tournament after becoming a sovereign state from Sudan in July 2011.

The team also made history when Khaman Maluach became the third-youngest player in the event at 16 years old. Maluach, now 17, made South Sudan’s 12-man roster for the Olympics and has been with the team throughout its training camp. He had two points on Sunday.

After defeating Puerto Rico, South Sudan will return to action on Wednesday against the United States (3 p.m. EDT). The contest is a rematch of an exhibition game on July 20, in which the U.S. defeated South Sudan 101-100 in London.