US-based Rwandan female combo-guard Sifa Joyeuse Ineza put up an impressive performance on Saturday as her 12 points, three steals and seven rebounds, helped her team Florida International University (FIU) beat North Texas 86-67 in the ongoing Conference USA. The Conference USA, also known as C-USA, is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas Ineza, 20, was a spark in the team's starting lineup, making an incredible contribution when FIU aggressively attacked the opposition’s paint and were rewarded 31 trips to the foul line. Ineza’s teammates also put in a massive shift as guard Kaliah Henderson led the scoring with 19 points off the bench while forward Ajae Yoakum finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Ineza joined FIU in 2021, on a four-year basketball scholarship. She plays alongside fellow Rwandan Hope Butera, who plays as a center. Butera is also having a great college basketball career, and has been praised for having a great presence on the glass this season, averaging six rebounds per game and 35 offensive rebounds. Recently, she scored a career-high 21 points and secured a double-double with 10 rebounds as FIU beat Bradley University on December 20. The duo is looked at as key players for the Rwanda national team and are expected to be instrumental in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament 2023 slated for July 26 to August 6 in Kigali, Rwanda. FIU will be back in action on Saturday, January 7, to take on the University of Alabama.
