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The Uganda Gazelles registered one of the most famous wins in the history of Ugandan basketball.
Fiba Women’s Zone V AfroBasket Qualifiers
Thursday fixture
Kenya vs. Rwanda -5pm
Uganda vs. South Sudan -8pm
The Uganda Gazelles registered one of the most famous wins in the history of Ugandan basketball.
Faced with a challenge of early elimination in the ongoing Fiba Women’s Zone V AfroBasket Qualifiers after losing to Kenya in the opener, Uganda turned on the style to edge Zone V giants 86-85 and brighten their chances yet again.
It was a win that has to be attributed to many aspects but especially character of a team with its back against the wall.
After overcoming a 10-point deficit in the first quarter, Alberto Antuna’s troops took charge and were rallied on by a partisan crowd to fell a giant of a team.
Debutant Jannon Otto once again led from the from with a double-double of 27 points and 14 rebounds. Hope Akello had to play a big part of the second half in foul trouble but stayed on for 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Brenda Ekone, brought into the starting line-up ahead of Rita Imanishimwe, paused questions for the Egyptian defense in transition and ended the night with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Flavia Oketcho and Imanishimwe contributed 10 and eight points respectively but it was the team’s defence in the end that stopped Egypt’s late charge for the Gazelles to win by a single point.
South Sudan next
It is not time for celebrations yet, though. The hosts will play their third consecutive game Thursday night against a spirited South Sudan side that has quite a following in the Ugandan capital Kampala.
South Sudan recorded her first ever win in competitive basketball for the women’s team. The win came on the sixth attempt, a 54-40 win over Rwanda just before Uganda’s win over Egypt.
That will have Ebony Hoffman’s side high on confidence against the hosts. Their win over Rwanda will not count and that only means that defeat to Uganda will see South Sudan out of the picture for a ticket to the continental showpiece having lost the opener to Egypt.
And for Uganda, the win over Egypt will count for nothing if they fail to take care of business against a South Sudan side playing just her second tournament ever.
Victory for Antuna and the girls will see them book a slot in the top two. That would mean waiting for either Egypt or Kenya in a decider on Sunday.
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