Uganda’s U18 women’s basketball team made a strong start to their FIBA U18 AfroBasket campaign after defeating Kenya 84-57 on Thursday in Ivory Coast.
The Junior Gazelles took control early, leading 20-11 at the end of the first quarter, after a dominant 15-0 scoring run that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Rose Masundi and Melissa Taliba led Uganda’s charge with 25 points each, with Taliba also contributing 15 rebounds in an impressive all-round performance.
Mary Hazel Ssengendo added 14 points, while Maria Nanyonga chipped in with 11 as Uganda cruised to victory.
Kenya’s Joyce Wangui Kagiri posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Scholastica Wileka Maburu and Brenda Akinyi contributed 16 and 12 points respectively in a losing effort.
Uganda dominated the boards, outrebounding Kenya 67-49, while forcing their opponents into 25 turnovers.
The Junior Gazelles will next face hosts Ivory Coast on Saturday before concluding their Group A fixtures against Central African Republic on Monday.
This is Uganda’s sixth appearance at the tournament, having secured automatic qualification after reaching the semifinals of the 2024 edition in South Africa.
Post a comment