APR Basketball teams in both men and women triumphed against REG teams to replicate their success from last season’s playoffs. The women’s team secured a close 77-75 victory over the REG women’s BBC team, before the men’s team earn a narrow 78-75 win as well.
On March 29th at the LDK Gymnasium, the APR Women’s Basketball Club defeated REG WBBC in the Rwanda Basketball League, extending their winning streak to six games and handing REG their first loss of the season. Meanwhile, the APR men’s team also secured a victory against REG BBC, improving their winning record to 8-1.
Assouma Uwizeye’s outstanding double-double performance led APR to a victory over REG in overtime, with 20 points and 21 rebounds. This win solidified APR’s dominance in the paint, securing their position as the only undefeated team in the Rwanda Women’s Basketball League.
Uwizeye’s APR dominated the paint, outscoring REG 46 points to 16. Their frontcourt superiority was evident throughout the game. However, despite their control of the paint, APR had to wait until overtime to capitalize on their opponent’s challenges.
In the crucial moments of overtime, REG faced setbacks as Ange Nelly Irakoze was sidelined due to injury and Nandy Linda Uwitonze fouled out just three minutes into the extra time.
Aside from Odile Tetero’s 21 points, Nandy Linda Uwitonze and Ange Nelly Irakoze emerged as the second and third highest scorers for REG on the night, with Uwitonze scoring 16 points and Irakoze adding 15 points to the tally. Additionally, Irakoze’s performance stood out as she secured 11 rebounds, achieving a double-double for the game.
Odile Tetero, formerly with APR, recently joined REG WBBC this season after guiding APR to a league title. Despite her commendable individual performance of 21 points, 7 rebounds, and four assists, she couldn’t lead REG to victory against her former team. Nevertheless, she exhibited high-quality basketball skills throughout the game.
In the men’s category, the game was closely contested, with each team winning two quarters and having the chance to lead by as much as 11 points at various times.
REG BBC held the lead in the first and third quarters, outscoring APR with scores of 24-17 and 25-11 respectively. However, APR turned the tide by dominating the second and fourth quarters, outscoring REG with scores of 27-12 and 23-14. Despite the back-and-forth nature of the game, it was APR who ultimately emerged victorious, securing the win and improving their winning ratio to 8-1.
APR emerged victorious against REG, largely due to their bench strength. APR’s bench players contributed 39 points, whereas REG BBC managed only 13 points from their bench.
With the departure of captain Michael Andre Dixon, Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza seized the opportunity for more playing time and made the most of it by scoring a team-high 19 points.
REG’s Kambuy Manga Pitchou had a double-double performance with 20 points and 11 rebounds, marking his fifth double-double in seven games this season. Meanwhile, Antino Alvalezes Jackson led the scoring with a game-high 22 points.
The recent victories for both APR teams signify a continued dominance over the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) teams. Last season, the men’s team defeated the electricians six times, while the women’s team triumphed five times out of seven matchups. However, the most significant achievement is that both APR teams clinched the last league titles after defeating the REG teams in the playoff finals.
The men’s team accomplished a clean sweep, winning all four games, while the women’s team secured the trophy with a 4-1 victory.
