Sunday, October 29
•KPA (Kenya) 82-72 JKL (Uganda)
JKL Lady Dolphins were handed their first defeat at the ongoing Zone Five Women’s Club Championships in Kigali.
The National Basketball League champions lost 72-82 to the formidable Kenyan team, KPA, at LDK Gymnasium in Kigali on Sunday.
Prior to this match, the Lady Dolphins had clinched a convincing 84-30 win over South Sudan’s Nile Legends on Saturday.
But KPA, littered with Kenya national team stars (including former UCU’s Vilma Achieng) and two-foreign based players in Victoria Reynolds and Morgan Taylor Greene, proved more physical and a hard nut to crack.
In the clash against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), despite trailing 15-19 initially, JKL managed to narrow the gap to just two points by halftime.
However, despite maintaining a slight lead at 57-54, KPA secured their victory by outscoring JKL 25-18 in the final quarter.
Rita Imanishimwe amassed 17 points, shooting 4-for-14 from downtown, while Flavia Oketcho and Hope Akello contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively.
On the Kenyan side, Madina Okot led with 16 points and 19 rebounds, supported by Hilda Hindasi and Victoria Reynolds, each scoring 18 points, while Aminata Samassekou added 13 points.
Despite recruiting Martha Soigi (from KCCA Leopards), Rose Amaniyo (from KIU Rangers), and Shakira Nanvubya (from UCU Lady Canons), the JKL team managed only 14 points from their bench, notably lower than KPA’s 35.
Additionally, their struggles were evident as they missed 19 free-throws during the game, proving to be a costly factor in their defeat.
JKL will take a rest on Monday, and will return to action on Tuesday against JKT Stars of Tanzania before ending their group campaign against Rwanda’s REG on Wednesday.
In the Quarters, the Lady Dolphins will face a team from Pool A that has APR from Rwanda, Kenya’s Equity Bank Hawks, Tanzania’s champions Vijana Queens, and Burundi’s Gladiators.
The tournament serves as a qualifier for the upcoming 2023 Africa Women’s Basketball League scheduled in Egypt from December 8 to 17.
