ZANZIBAR (Tanzania) – After five days of competition, only four teams remain in the 11-team Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone 5 qualifiers.
Al Ahly Sporting Club of Egypt, Rwanda Energy Group (REG), APR of Rwanda and the reigning zone champions, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), are qualified.
Here’s how the day went:
KPA defeats Equity and advances to the semi-finals
The double-double of My name is Akariwe (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Selina Okumu (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 interceptions and as many assists for a total of 25 points, one point more than the first, allowed Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to win 80-63 against rivals Equity Bank Hawks, in an all-Kenyan match.
In a game that saw 14 lead changes and nine ties, the game was fought until the final five minutes, when the Bankers collapsed, allowing the reigning Zone 5 champions to score 16 points, which sealed the deal for the team coached by Antony Ojukwu.
The KPA, trailing 27-18 in the first quarter, came back in the second quarter by scoring 19-8 to lead 37-25 at halftime.
The twists and turns continued in the third quarter which ended with a parity score, the KPA maintaining its slim advantage (54-52). A 26-11 run in the final quarter made the difference for KPA who now face undefeated Al Ahly SC to qualify automatically.
Equity lost the ball 25 times, an error which was taken advantage of by the Ojukwu players who scored 32 points, while their opponents failed to capitalize on their 14 turnovers, scoring none than six. A 21-13 ratio on fast break points didn’t help Equity’s cause.
King and Philoxy propel REG into the final four
Rwanda Energy Group (REG) defeated JKL Lady Dolphins, 67-52to continue their unbeaten streak and qualify for the semi-finals.
Reigning Zone 5 silver medalists and JKL, who unexpectedly reached the quarterfinals, started the match with a six-point draw after five minutes of play, but the Rwandans began a series of 11-3 in the last half of the first quarter to lead 17-9.
The Ugandans took a 14-12 advantage in the second quarter before trailing by six points, with the score 29-23 reflecting the many missed opportunities.
Upon returning from the locker room, the players Julian Martinez went all out, increasing their lead to ten (41-31) in the middle of the third quarter, then to eighteen (18) before the last quarter, which allowed REG to win , while the last quarter ended with a score of 19-16 in favor of JKL.
Christina Morgan King et Destiney Promise Philoxy accumulated 29 points and were the only REG players to achieve a double-digit score.
For his part, JKL saw Evelyne Nakiyingi score 13 points, while Cool Becky Longomwho was the team’s best player despite missing the opening game, had another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sharon Kirabo added 10 points to his tally.
APR moves closer to qualification by defeating stubborn Gladiators
Italee Lucas led APR Rwanda’s charge against the Gladiators with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in the 78-55 victory.
Lucas joined forces with Shaina Pellington et Sandra Offices for 54 of the team’s total points in a game where the Gladiators held their own, moving the ball better in the second and third quarters to keep the defenses from Charles Worker within range.
Champions Rwanda started their campaign for a semi-final berth with a quick 14-6, keeping the momentum going for a 25-12 performance in the first quarter. The Gladiators redoubled their efforts in the second period, taking a 19-13 advantage to cut their deficit to seven points before halftime.
Nelly Sandra I will be married (15 points) et Francine Mukendi (13 points) continued to be a threat for APR in the third period, cutting their lead to just four, five minutes into the second half, taking the Rwandan team by surprise.
The pressure was at its peak and the RPA needed an immediate response. Italee rose to the occasion by scoring five points quickly, Sandra Offices adding a basket and Mushumba’s team won 59-48 heading into the final ten minutes. The last quarter of an hour resulted in a 19-7 domination for the future winners.
Al Ahly SC makes short work of Vijana Queens
From the start, the match promised to be very competitive, with the Egyptians of Al Ahly having proved too strong for the Tanzanians of Vijana Queens by winning 145-52 during the group stage. The quarterfinal meeting was no different as they were humiliated 130-47.
The first quarter score was 42-16, leaving no doubt as to who the winner was. The Vijanas of Comel Joseph Woisso were dominated 32-11, 23-14 and 33-6 in a match where the team led by Tarek Abouzeid attempted 29 three-pointers and made 10 for a 34.5% conversion rate, a significant drop from 16 of 30 for 53.3% in the group game.
Raneem Elgedawy made 9 of 10 shots, and added two shots from behind the arc. She finished with the best score for her team with 26 points and 4 rebounds. Meral Abdelgawad scored 19 points in 15:41 minutes, adding 5 assists and as many rebounds for a rating of 28 in terms of efficiency.
Taudencia Oluoch was the only Vijana player to reach double figures, with 14 points, while he missed Boke Juma a basket to become the second highest scorer on the team.
Al Ahly SC, as expected, dominated all points scored charts, with 35-06 points on turnovers, 31-2 on quick attacks, 23-8 on second chances, 76- 20 in the racket and 63-31 from the bench.
FIBA
