Lausanne, June 29 -- Mali upset European powerhouse Serbia 72-70 at the opener of the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup here, marking the country's first-ever win over Serbia at any level.
Sekou Bagayoko led the African side with 21 points, while Ladji Coulibaly added six points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Nikola Dzepina scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Serbia on Saturday. Coulibaly made it 71-70 with a breakaway dunk with 43 seconds to go before Ibrahim Doumbia converted
a free throw with 10 seconds left to seal the win.
Serbia, which was ranked third by FIBA before the tournament, trailed by 10 points in the first half before they chased back to 40-39 at halftime.
The two teams were tied at 59 heading into the final qua...