Angola have qualified for their third straight Quarter-Final appearance since 2018, as they saw off Zambia in a one-sided game at the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2024, in Pretoria, South Africa. The Lusophones took control of the game and never looked back, paving their way to the next stage with a 82-35 win.
Last Updated on
September 10, 2024
Losing to Mali in the Group B opening game has been beneficial to Angola, as they bounced back in style against Morocco with a 74-62 victory. Daniela Gongo and Ana Servico were the ones who carried Angola to victory, with 25 and 11 points each.
Against Zambia, it was Luisa Amaral’s turn to shine on the court. She dropped a game-high 28 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and provided 1 assist. Daniela Gongo also rose up to the occasion, with 12 points, 1 rebound and 3 steals, while Ana Servico contributed 12 points to the winning cause.
Amaral was 10/27 on field goals, with 4/17 from behind the arc and 4/5 from the free throw line. She added 3 steals to her figures, for 12 efficiency.
Angola made a strong statement from the start, as they plummeted Zambia in a 18-8 run in the first quarter. Franciany Cavula opened the score from the charity strip, but Cholwe Simubali put Zambia back on track seconds later.
Miraldina Buitchi added another two points to Angola’s total, before Taonga Shanzi and Sepho Phiri gave Zambia a short lead. It was then that Amaral woke up and powered Angola to the front, though Abigail Mwale would reduce the gap to two points (10-8) for the newcomers.
Amaral drew another three-pointer, before Sandra Santos and Margarida Solunga added three points to help Angola claim a 18-8 win.
During the second quarter, they put the bar higher as this time clinching a 23-11 win to get into half-time with a 22-point advantage (41-19).
The break must have worked wonders for the Lusophones as they returned to the court and worked their way towards victory, homing a 29-5 run.
The last stanza saw Zambia get a bit of momentum, finishing just one point shy (11-12), but it was too little too late, as it made no doubt about who was going to be victorious from the tip-off.
Angola cornered their opponent in every aspect of the game, from the points off turnovers (43-9), to points from the bench (27-0) and second chance points (32-10).
With this win, Angola qualify for the Quarter-Finals, slated for Wednesday. The Lusophones will know their next opponent by tomorrow.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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