It was an action-packed Sunday in Zanzibar, Tanzania, as we tipped off the Zone 5 WBLA qualifiers. Equity Bank, REG, KPA and Vijana all had convincing wins in the island city.
Last Updated on
October 28, 2024
Equity Bank of Kenya were looking to start with a dominant showing when they took on Gladiators of Burundi. Equity bank got off to a good start after a 27-7 first quarter. The Kenyan side took their foot off the pedal and Gladiators seized the opportunity and closed the gap. They were within 15 at the end of the first half with the score at 41-26.
Equity bank then picked up their first half dominance when they outscored the Gladiators by 8 in the third quarter to extend their lead. Equity Bank took advantage of their size and dominated in the paint as they scored 48 points in the paint. They also had meaningful contributions from the bench as they scored 28 bench points with Equity Bank holding unto to its domination to win 73-51. Betty Kananu and Maryann Wanjiku scored 14 and 17 points respectively and proved too powerful for the 13 points of Naomie Muco and Nelly Nsanzabaganwa of Gladiators. Francine Tshimanga of Gladiators also had a good game with 12 points 11 rebounds but the overall contribution from Equity Bank proved too strong for Gladiators to handle.
The second game was between South Sudanese side Fox Divas and Rwandan giants REG. This was a lopsided game as REC took a commanding lead and did not look back. They won every quarter convincingly, almost doubling the contribution of the Divas by almost every margin. Only 3 players from Fox had more than one field goal, namely Mafuta Ngusu, Assetou Traoré and Jescal Ngisaise (15 points and 10 rebounds). On the other hand, REG had 5 players in double figures: Destiney Philoxy (13 points), Kristina King (13 points), Henriette Uwimpuphwe (13 points), Victoria Reynolds (13points) and Mercy Wanyama (15 points). REG only turned the ball over 13 times as opposed to Fox’s 33. The Rwandan outfit also dominated in the paint as they scored 62 paint points. REG’s bench outscored the whole Fox side. REG rode into the sunset with a 105-48 victory in their quest to book a spot in Morocco.
The third game of the day was not different from the second. Kenyan Port Authorities (KPA) put on a masterclass as they dismissed Hawassa City of Ethiopia 128-36. KPA showed their authority from the tip-off and did not look back nor did they slow down their efforts. They played a near perfect game with only 11 turnovers and 61% field goal. Alima Doumbia of KPA had an outstanding game as she recorded 24 points, 8 assists and 0 turnovers. There were very meaningful contributions from Belinda Okoth (19 points), Malu Grace (18 points) and Nkem Akaraiwe (18 points) for KPA. The Kenyan side looked to send a message, and they did just that with this resounding score.
The final game of the day featured the home team Vijana Basketball Club that came up against Young Sisters of Burundi. The Burundian side got off to a good start as they took a 26-24 lead at the end of the first quarter behind the performance of Elsa Nyonkuru (who ended the game with 29 points and 10 rebounds). With the support of their fans, the home team bounced back to claim a one-point lead at the half at 44-43. They continued this way and won the third and fourth quarters to claim a 91-77 win. Despite the margin at the final whistle, the game was tightly contested from tip-off. Young Sisters forced Vijana into many turnovers which led to 20 points but that was not enough to stop Vijana’s presence in the paint with 60 points in the paint. This was undoubtedly the game of the day and a treat to the home fans in the way the day was closed out.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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