The Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) Women’s Basketball Club narrowly defeated the hosts, ASC Ville de Dakar (ASCVD), 96-94, to finish in third place in the FIBA WBLA 2024, marking their first-ever continental podium finish.
On Sunday, December 15, APR stunned the hosts in Senegal to secure the bronze medal after a thrilling overtime victory.
APR got off to a strong start, taking a 12-point lead after the first period, 23-11. However, ASCVD mounted a comeback in the second quarter, cutting the deficit and leveling the score at 37-all by halftime.
Both teams exchanged leads in a back-and-forth third and fourth quarter (22-21, 23-24), and the game ended with an 82-82 tie after 40 minutes, sending the match into a five-minute overtime.
The overtime period was as close as regular time, with the game remaining tight until the final 4.3 seconds. APR’s Italee Lucas grabbed a defensive rebound, but ASCVD’s Elizabeth Dabou fouled her, sending Lucas to the free-throw line.
Lucas, an American-Angolan guard with an 82.3% free-throw percentage before taking the FTs, made both shots. The Senegalese team had one last chance to win, but their buzzer-beater three-pointer attempt missed, and the game ended 96-94 in favor of APR.
APR’s backcourt duo, Shaina Pellington and Kamba Yoro Diakité, played 45 minutes each, scoring 22 and 15 points, respectively.
Forwards Kierstan Bell and Italee Lucas also played heavy minutes, with Bell logging 41 minutes and scoring 24 points, while Lucas played 40 minutes and led all scorers with 30 points. Together, these four players combined for 91 of the team’s 96 points.
APR and REG, Rwanda’s representatives in the FIBA Women’s Basketball Africa League, struggled with unbalanced rosters in this tournament, forcing key players to spend nearly the entire game on the court.
On the other hand, REG suffered an 8-0 run in overtime against Côte d’Ivoire’s FBA, losing 47-55 to finish in sixth place, down from their fourth-place finish last season.
This is APR’s first-ever podium finish in the FIBA Women’s Basketball Africa League.
Ferroviário de Maputo won the FIBA WBLA 2024, marking their third continental title in history.
