APR Bounce Back to Beat KPA Claim Bronze Medal at the Tanzania WBLA Qualifiers

APR Bounce Back to Beat KPA Claim Bronze Medal at the Tanzania WBLA Qualifiers

APR stormed to an emphatic 85-51 victory over Kenya’s KPA in the bronze medal game of the Women’s Basketball League Africa Qualifiers in Tanzania, rebounding with grit after their semi-final defeat to Rwandan rivals REG. 

The opening quarter saw both teams trading blows, with APR eking out a slim 17-15 lead. But from the second quarter onwards, APR seized complete control. They poured in 22 points in the second, doubling down defensively to hold KPA to a mere 12 points. In the third, APR continued their lockdown defence, limiting KPA to just 10 points while adding 18 of their own to stretch the lead. The final quarter became a clinic in offensive dominance, with APR exploding for 28 points to close out the game, while KPA managed only 14.

From deep, APR’s Kamba Yoro Diakite and Italee Lucas unleashed a 3-point barrage early, with Lucas adding three treys in the opening quarter alone. They continued their long-range assault in the second quarter, where Lucas and Shaina Pellington combined for back-to-back threes, a pattern they maintained throughout. Jane Dusabe added two more in the third, while Diakite and Uwera Benigne Mugisha punctuated the fourth with threes, sealing KPA’s fate.

APR’s Shaina Pellington was unstoppable, finishing with 24 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Italee Lucas wasn’t far behind, notching 22 points, six boards, three assists, and a steal, cementing her impact in all areas.

Though APR shot a modest 46.8% from the floor, they connected on an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc. KPA, in contrast, struggled mightily from deep, shooting a dismal 14.3%. Despite the near parity in rebounds—APR’s 45 to KPA’s 46—the Rwandan team’s ball movement shone through, racking up 22 assists to KPA’s 12, a stat that underlined their chemistry and shared offensive burden.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA Africa]