South Sudan make Olympic history

South Sudan has claimed its first ever Olympic men’s basketball win, beating Puerto Rico 90-79 on Sunday night, Australian time.

Adelaide 36ers swingman Sunday Dech was one of four NBL stars in action, the Bright Stars overcame a six-point half-time deficit to eventually win by 11, outscoring their opponents 42-25 in the final two quarters.

Carlik Jones scored 19 points for the winners, while Dech swished a three-pointer in the opening quarter and played aggressive full-court defence.

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It was a history-making night for the South Sudanese, who only joined FIBA in 2013, two years after becoming an independent state.

The Bright Stars played in their first World Cup last year and are now doing their nation proud in Paris.

Next up, they’ll take on Team USA, going in with plenty of confidence after pushing a group of NBA superstars to a solitary point in an exhibition game last week.