South Sudan W vs Argentina W

Argentina seized control early. Melisa Gretter orchestrated a 20–9 second-quarter surge that gave the South American champions a commanding 37–24 lead at the break. Julieta Mungo provided the scoring punch, and Argentina's defence held South Sudan to nine points in the period.

But South Sudan transformed after half-time. Maria Gakdeng anchored a 21–10 third quarter that wiped out the deficit, tying the game at 45–45 entering the fourth. The final period seesawed: South Sudan pushed ahead by five with under nine minutes left, but Argentina answered each time.

With seven seconds on the clock and Argentina leading 61–58, Joiner hit a clutch three-pointer to tie it. On the final possession, Chagas received the inbound pass and rose for a three that beat the buzzer and gave Argentina its first win of the tournament.

Chagas' buzzer-beater was the obvious decisive moment, but the more significant structural shift came in the third quarter. South Sudan outscored Argentina 21–10 after shooting just 24.1% from the field in the first half (9 points in Q2), sparked by Gakdeng's interior presence and a full-court defensive press that disrupted Gretter's playmaking rhythm.

Florencia Chagas (Argentina) — 12 points, 6 steals, and the game-winning buzzer-beater. The 25-year-old guard struggled from the field for much of the night (3-of-11 from three entering the final play) but delivered when it mattered most. FIBA's Game Center named her the decisive figure.

Melisa Gretter (Argentina) — 12 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists against just 1 turnover in nearly 36 minutes. The 33-year-old point guard controlled Argentina's offence, posting the joint-highest efficiency rating (20) alongside Gakdeng.

Julieta Mungo (Argentina) — 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting, providing Argentina's primary scoring threat while Gretter directed the offence.

Moira Joiner (South Sudan) — 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, including the clutch three-pointer that tied the game with seven seconds left. The Leganes guard was outstanding in defeat.

Maria Gakdeng (South Sudan) — Led all players with a 20 efficiency rating, anchoring South Sudan's third-quarter revival with interior scoring and rebounding.

The box score tells a story of two different games. Argentina shot 46.9% on two-point attempts to South Sudan's 38.8% and hit 29.2% from three compared to 20.0%, yet the game hinged on Argentina's 50% free-throw shooting (11-of-22) — well below South Sudan's 70.4% (19-of-27). Those 11 missed free throws kept South Sudan within striking distance despite trailing for 29:39 of the 40 minutes.

Argentina's 10-0 scoring run was the game's biggest, but South Sudan matched it with an 8-0 run of their own. The 8 lead changes and 9 ties underscore how the momentum flipped after half-time.

The result throws Group A into a perfect tie: all four teams — Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand and South Sudan — sit at 1-1 with one game remaining. Every team controls its own destiny on the final group day (20 August). Argentina face Brazil, while South Sudan take on New Zealand; the winners of both games advance to the semi-finals, the losers are eliminated.

South Sudan's next fixture: vs New Zealand on 20 August at 20:45 local time. Argentina's next fixture: vs Brazil on 20 August at 18:00 local time.

A game that Argentina dominated for 20 minutes, South Sudan for the next 15, and then was decided by one individual moment of nerve. Chagas' buzzer-beater rescued Argentina from what would have been a damaging collapse after their 57–35 opening loss to New Zealand. For South Sudan, the progress is measurable: after stunning Brazil in overtime on Day 1, they pushed a higher-ranked opponent to the final second and were beaten only by a shot that will be replayed often.