FIBA Africa Zone 5: APR face UCU after Equity defeat

TodaySelected fixturesWomenUCU vs APR 12pmMenPatriots vs ABC 2pmWednesday, womenEquity 61-51 APRKCCA 139-35 HorseedDon Bosco 43-92 KPA APR women basketball club’s boat at the ongoing FIBA Africa Zone 5 Club Championship sunk even deeper Wednesday afternoon. The military side lost 51-61 to Kenya’s Equity, making it their third defeat out of four games played so far. This afternoon, the black-and-white outfit will be up against UCU of Uganda, in a game starting at noon, with hopes to register a second victory at the week-long regional showpiece. APR is Rwanda’s sole representative at the tourney in women’s category. Kenya’s KPA are the defending champions. Wednesday’s encounter against the Kenyan champions Equity, looked balanced, competitive and very defensive for most of the time. The Kenyans claimed the first quarter 16-11 before APR fought back to take the second one, 19-16 to narrow the Equity’s lead to two points, 32-30, going into half-time break. Returning for the second half, Equity looked sharper and more determined to finish the job, winning the last two quarters 14-11 and 15-10 respectively. APR’s Charlotte Umugwaneza and Equity’s Mercy Ayitso Wanyama scored a joint game high 14 points each. Yesterday was a rest day for the men’s category who resume the competition today with quarter-finals where, among others, Rwanda’s Patriots face ABC of Tanzania this afternoon at 2pm Rwandan time. No Rwandan women’s basketball side has ever been able to win the annual East Africa’s flagship tournament. In the men’s fray, APR has won it three times (2003, 2007 and 2010) while Espoir clinched it five years ago (2012) in Kampala, Uganda. Former Espoir and current Patriots skipper, Aristide Mugabe was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the competition. Having started on October 1, the 2017 FIBA Africa Zone V Club Championship is scheduled to come to an end this Sunday at Lugogo Indoor Arena in the Ugandan capital Kampala. The event also serves as qualifiers for FIBA Africa Club Championship for December in Casablanca, Morocco. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Sports

FIBA Africa Zone 5: APR face UCU after Equity defeat