Wednesday

Rwanda 40-54 South Sudan

Cheikh Sarr’s ladies started off their FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Zone V Qualifiers campaign on a low note after losing to South Sudan 40-54 on Wednesday evening at the Indoor Arena in Lugogo in Kampala, Uganda.

The team started well, leading the first quarter 13-8 but South Sudan bounced back in the second quarter with 13-11 to go into half time leading 24-21.

Back in the second-half, Ebony Hoffman’s girls continued with a combination of passes and defense and went on to win the last two quarters 16-12 and 15-4 to claim their first victory in the qualifiers.

Captain Charlotte Umugwaneza scored 8 points and 7 rebounds, while point guard Faustine Mwizerwa grabbed 8 points and 4 steals.

For South Sudan, Nyamuoch Pidor Teny scored a game high 18 points that helped her side bounce back from defeat against Egypt on Tuesday.

Rwanda will be looking to make amends in their next game against Kenya on Thursday 16.

The qualifiers, which is a round robin competition, will see the team that will come out on top join back to back champions Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Cameroon which already have an automatic qualification to the finals, having finished in the top four during the 2021 Women’s African Championship in Yaounde, Cameroon.

The national team already have an automatic ticket as hosts but coach Sarr wants to use the competition as an opportunity to put his women through their paces earlier to get them ready for the finals.