Kenya Ports Authority Basketball team defeated Rwanda’s representative in the FIBA Africa Women Basketball League, REG WBBC, 101-97 in the semifinals to proceed to the championship game.
Alexandria, December 18, the highly anticipated Africa Women Basketball League semifinal clash between zone 5 representatives took place, and KPA prevailed once more, just as they did two months ago in Kigali.
REG, with undoubtedly the best backcourt and a 5-0 record in the competition, battled the zone 5 winners, KPA, in a semifinal matchup that was an opportunity for REG to exact revenge on the Kenyan powerhouse. However, the Kenyan champions proved their superiority by defeating the Rwandans in an offensive game of the tournament.
- Related story : Kenya’s KPA beat REG WBBC to win the AWBL Group D Qualifiers
The Kenyans won three quarters of the game owing to long-range shooting from Natalie Mwangale and Victoria Reynolds (29-24, 25-23, 29-27), and Esperance Mukaneza seemed to have no solution to stop them.
In last quarter, The Rwandan electricians tried to fight back in the game, but their efforts fell short, as they scored 23 points while allowing 18 points, resulting in a 101-97 loss.
Philoxy Destiney Promise, Tiffany Mitchell, and Nia Clouden combined for 84 points to prove REG’s unbalanced roster.
Philoxy scored a game-high 41 points and dished out 7 assists. Mitchell and Clouden contributed 26 and 17 points respectively.
KPA’s Victoria Reynolds and Nathalie Mwangale each scored 26 points, and Rita Aluoch Onyango grabbed 13 rebounds. Mwangale was instrumental, dishing up 13 assists and shooting 9-18 from the field, including 8-15 from beyond the arc.
REG struggled to defend the three-point line, as their opponent made 15 of 32 shots. While Esperance Mukaneza’s team only made 8 three-pointers out of 23 attempts.
The KPA made it to the AWBL finals, becoming the first Kenyan team to do so in a FIBA Africa clubs championship. They will take on the defending champions, Alexandria Sporting Club, who defeated them in the group stage.
REG will compete for a bronze medal against Angola’s Inter Clube. Should they claim the medal, they will be the first Rwandan women’s team to win a medal in the Africa Club championship, and the second overall, as the APR men’s team took bronze in the 2009
