APR Women BBC made a strong statement in their opening game of the 2024 FIBA Women Basketball League Africa Zone V Qualifiers, dominating KPA Women with a 96-76 victory.
APR Women Basketball Club started the 2024 FIBA WBLA Qualifiers on Monday, October 28, with a big win over the last year’s Zonal champions.
The 2024 RBL runners-up began their road to Dakar with an amazing win, securing a 20-point victory over Kenya’s KPA.
The Rwandan army team took a strong lead in the first quarter, finishing at 26-19, fueled by Kamba Diakite’s 13 points.
The Kenya Ports Authority team leveraged Charles Mushumba’s rotations in the second quarter to narrow the gap to just 3 points by halftime, 40-43.
APR asserted control and dominated the third and fourth quarters as Shaina Pellington, Italee Lucas, and Channel Mokango returned to the court. They outscored KPA 26-17 in the third quarter and 27-19 in the fourth to leave them no chance for a comeback.
Kamba Yoro Diakite led all scorers with 27 points, while Italee Lucas scored 22 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in her black-and-white debut.
The Canadian point guard Shaina Pellington also shone in her debut, posting a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists. She also finished her 36 minutes on the court with 3 rebounds.
Channel Mokango, another recent addition to the roster, delivered an impressive double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
KPA’s Alima Doumbia scored 22 points in just 22 minutes spent on the court, while Malu Irebu Grace contributed 21 points as well.
A win for APR against the defending champions places them in a strong position and sends a clear message to all title contenders.
Earlier at Amaan Indoor Sport Hall, Rwanda’s reigning champions, REG WBBC, defeated Kenya’s champions, Equity Bank, 86-73. Destiny Philoxy contributed 18 points in the game.
REG has now recorded two wins in row and will return to the court tomorrow, October 29, to face the Burundian Gladiators.
APR Women BBC will play two hours later, at 3 PM East African time, against Ethiopia’s Hawassa City.
Zone V will be represented by two teams in the 2024 FIBA WBLA, scheduled from December 5-16 in Dakar, Senegal.
